With Israel-Iran hostilities continuing and Israel’s airspace still closed, a cruise ship has come to the aid of young adults stranded in the country. Nearly 1,500 have been evacuated by sea and arrived in Cyprus this week.
Israel Airspace Remains Closed
Most Jewish Americans were in the country as part of the Birthright Israel program. The Israeli cruise ship Crown Iris, operated by Mano Maritime, left Ashdod Port and arrived safely in Larnaca, Cyprus.
The ship was escorted by the Israeli Navy for the 13-hour Mediterranean Sea crossing.
“This was a complex operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus. Our team continues to work around the clock to secure solutions for the remaining participants still in Israel,” said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel.
More Than 1,000 Remain Stranded in Israel
The Americans were then flown to Tampa, Florida on chartered aircraft arranged by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Birthright Israel says there are still approximately 1,300 program participants in Israel.
Noa Bauer, vice president of global marketing at Birthright Israel, said they will likely also be transported by sea or possibly by plane if the airspace reopens and it is safe to do so.
“We’ve been in past operations when we needed to get people out, and usually the skies were an option. There were also options through maybe Jordan,” Bauer said. ”We have a lot of people, and we wanted to get them out in the safest way.”
Birthright Israel is a free 10-day trip for Jewish young adults aged up to 26 to learn about Israel and their Jewish heritage. Bauer announced a major event planned for June 23 to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary had to be canceled.
Bauer added that once these remaining Birthright guests are evacuated, the cruise ship will open up space to other organizations responsible for tourists stranded in Israel.
