, ▁( H ille l , ▁ 1 9 8 7 ) ▁but ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁organized ▁Operation ▁Ez ra ▁and ▁Ne hem iah , ▁an ▁air l ift ▁to ▁Israel , ▁and ▁sent ▁in ▁em iss aries ▁to ▁encou rage ▁Jews ▁to ▁leave . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁an ▁activ ist ▁of ▁M oss ad ▁Le A li y ah ▁Bet , ▁Sh l omo ▁H ille l , ▁using ▁the ▁alias ▁Richard ▁Arm strong , ▁fle w ▁from ▁Amsterdam ▁to ▁Bag hd ad ▁as ▁a ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁char ter ▁company ▁Near ▁East ▁Air ▁Transport , ▁to ▁organ ize ▁an ▁air l ift ▁of ▁Ira q ▁Jews ▁to ▁Israel ▁via ▁ ▁Cy pr us . ▁Ear lier , ▁H ille l ▁had ▁trained ▁Z ion ist ▁milit ants ▁in ▁Bag hd ad ▁under ▁the ▁alias ▁Fu ad ▁Sal ah . ▁Near ▁East ▁Air ▁Transport ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Jewish ▁Agency . ▁The ▁first ▁flight ▁of ▁" N ear ▁east ▁air lines " ▁with ▁imm igr ating ▁Ira qi ▁Jews ▁arrived ▁at ▁Israel ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁when ▁ 4 6 0 0 0 ▁Jews ▁already ▁registered ▁under ▁the ▁De - natural ization ▁law . ▁ ▁Israel ▁could ▁not ▁co pe ▁with ▁so ▁many ▁imm igr ants ▁and ▁limited ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁the ▁fl ights ▁from ▁Ira q . ▁by ▁early ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁Jews ▁who ▁registered ▁to