I heard of plans from the US Goverment that if Israel was to have fallen at any time, they would send a fleet to get everyone out and offer US Citizenship to anyone who wanted it.
It would go back and forth to Europe intill everyone got out safley.
Could it have worked?
I wonder if this was more of a contingency for the first years after Israeli was founded?
How about them driving out? Jordan would have been the weakest army so you hit them with some of the IDF or whatever it would called in order to punch a whole in the line then have a mass drive through it a la refugee movements at the end of WW2 or the Indian partition. Once there is a hole in the line the IDF divides into a spearhead to seize a port, a rearguard for obvious reasons and flank guards.The Israeli population is about 8 million in total. During the final battle for East Prussia, there were around 10,000 people crammed on the decks of the Wilhelm Gustloff when it was sunk by a Soviet sub while evacuating people out of the area. Where in the world are there 800 ships each capable of holding 10,000 people?
The numbers by air are even more daunting: Using 747s carrying 400 people each, you'd need to complete 20,000 flights out of the country. That's one flight per minute out of Ben Gurion for two solid weeks. Even using military and other aircraft and filling them to the brim with people, I onder how one would scrounge up enough airplanes in the world to get that done. It would make the Berlin Airlift look like a Air National Guard weekend training exercise.
I heard of plans from the US Goverment that if Israel was to have fallen at any time, they would send a fleet to get everyone out and offer US Citizenship to anyone who wanted it.
It would go back and forth to Europe intill everyone got out safley.
Could it have worked?
Even if Israel falls (and no, I do not know how that happens), the firepower of 2-3 US CV Battle Groups should be enough to shield an evacuation zone.
Mike Turcotte
The Israeli population is about 8 million in total. During the final battle for East Prussia, there were around 10,000 people crammed on the decks of the Wilhelm Gustloff when it was sunk by a Soviet sub while evacuating people out of the area. Where in the world are there 800 ships each capable of holding 10,000 people?
The numbers by air are even more daunting: Using 747s carrying 400 people each, you'd need to complete 20,000 flights out of the country. That's one flight per minute out of Ben Gurion for two solid weeks. Even using military and other aircraft and filling them to the brim with people, I onder how one would scrounge up enough airplanes in the world to get that done. It would make the Berlin Airlift look like a Air National Guard weekend training exercise.
Assuming that the invading Arab armies allow the removal of Jewish Israelis, a LARGE assumption, this is a huge undertaking. Today there are approximately 6 million plus Jews in Israel. Say that you have 5 million leaving, with 1 million dead or unwilling to leave, and the ASBs move them to one spot - now CARE for them. Food, water, medical care etc etc for that many people at once (even over a few weeks to a month) and just where do you put them. In all of the US military there is not enough empty barracks space and proper tentage to house 5 million people.
If you look at the hassle with the Mariel boat lift, and multiply that by 100,000 you see the issue.
Also, frankly, look at the cost of this. Not just moving these folks from Israel to the USA (or anywhere), but providing all sorts of services until they get settled. Sure the Israeli population is pretty well educated, and a large percentage speak English to a greater or lesser degree but will professionals get medical licenses, admitted to the bar, architect certification etc? Where are, at least in the short term, are the jobs for these folks - adding at least 1.5 million people if not more to the job market overnight is simply not going to happen. As a final note, expect that the vast majority of these folks will arrive in the USA (or anywhere) with little more than the clothes on their backs you can be sure that the invaders will not allow them to leave with (foreign) currency, jewelry, or similar valuables.*
*if you doubt this look at what is happening in Iraq, where Christians expelled from Mosul leave all behind and a re searched as they leave the ISIS controlled area and stripped of all money, gold, etc.
The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 and (amended) 1950 led to the emigration of some 415,000 European refugees; this was less than half of the 900,000 emigrants from Europe in the immediate postwar years.
The total population of Israel in 1949 (Jewish, Christian, Moslem, etc.) was under 1.2 million, which was less than the population of Nebraska in 1950 (total US pop was ~151 million).
Given the willingness of President Truman to recognize Israel and (generally) turn a blind eye to arms purchases from US-controlled stocks (including, at one point, the planned acquisition of an escort carrier), I would expect that if the Israeli population was truly endangered, the 6th Fleet and then UNRRA would be in a position to rescue any that so chose to be rescued...
In 1954-55, the French and US militaries evacuated some 600,000 refugees from what became North Vietnam to what became South Vietnam; the US could have evacuated more, of course.
Even today, with an Israeli population of ~8 million (of various faiths) the entire population of Israel numbers less than that of New Jersey or Virginia....spread across a nation of 312 million (2010 census), it would not be much.
Actually, there's a POD for what could be a pretty interesting AH - at any point in Israel's history, have the majority of the population call it a day and emigrate to the US...
Best,
I think they would have all of the time they needed and Arab armies would have no say in the matter. The US just makes it clear to the Arab armies if you don't let them leave you are going to be hurt so bad that they would not need evacuation. Then have the balls to enforce it.