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Friday April 21, 2000

Ethiopian immigrants serve in unit that rescued them

JERUSALEM (JPS) -- Airlifted out of east Africa as young girls in daring Air Force operations, two Ethiopian-born immigrants hav
"This is exactly closing the circle," said Bat-Chen Yalu, 20. "In my family they say that after our whole journey and everything

Years later in 1991, members of the same unit participated in Operation Solomon when the bulk of Ethiopia's Jewish community was airlifted to Israel in one spectacular weekend. On one of the planes was Eden Itia, an 11-year-old girl and now also 20.

"We knew we'd immigrate to Israel one day. We spoke about it at home. What we didn't know that was that we'd do it at such short notice," Itia said.

Several months ago, both young women were assigned to the same 669 unit based at the Tel Nof air base. Itia was trained as a safety equipment specialist and Yalu is serving in the rescue and evacuation school there.

Their story is told in full in the Air Force Magazine.

"It's a great honor to serve in 669," Itia said.

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