Hundreds of young Americans visiting Israel through “Birthright Israel” programs were evacuated by cruise ship to Cyprus after Iran launched ballistic missile strikes, prompting an urgent rescue operation backed by Florida officials, the New York Post reported.
Escorted by the Israeli navy, the cruise ship carried 1,500 passengers across the Mediterranean on a 10-hour journey to Cyprus. From there, four jets chartered by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis transported the Americans to Tampa.
There were nearly 2,800 people on the trips across Israel at the time of the attacks, the organization said, most of them young Americans visiting the Jewish state, often for the first time.
“Some are like me and calm while others are scared,” said Jaxon Zemachson, 20, of Scarsdale, New York, who was aboard the ship. “For me, the whole experience has made for a great story to tell my kids. I have honestly been pretty calm about the whole thing, like the Israelis. The first missile attack was a bit scary, but from there, it was much calmer.”
Robbie Schwartz, 20, from Manhattan’s Upper West Side, said the shock of experiencing the missile strikes was difficult to process. “It was insane,” Schwartz recalled. “It almost doesn’t feel real, even when I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I feel so sad this is happening — it’s a beautiful country, and I wanted to stay here… It’s very hard to leave.”
Birthright Israel officials said the evacuation was coordinated under significant pressure but executed successfully.
“This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus,” said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel. Noa Bauer, the organization’s vice president of global marketing, said the cruise ship was chosen as the safest evacuation method following Iran’s retaliatory missile strike last week.
When the conflict escalated, the group initially sheltered participants in secure hotels in Mitzpe Ramon, a desert town in southern Israel. Zemachson said rumors of them being stranded were untrue.
“I was given the opportunity to fly for free to Israel and back to the U.S. through Birthright and basically a free summer in Tel Aviv through Onward,” he said. “I had the best time.”
Melissa Rabinovich of Staten Island, whose 22-year-old son Ethan was among the evacuees, expressed relief after days of anxiety. “When the news alerts started coming in, it was a definite state of panic and concern,” she said. “This has been a never-ending cycle since Thursday.”
The Americans were expected to fly to Florida after their arrival in Cyprus. Birthright Israel is also arranging departures for participants from other countries.
While the Biden administration facilitated evacuations from Israel in October 2023 during the initial Hamas attack on Israel, passengers were said to be later billed for the trip. However, DeSantis and Florida Rep. Cory Mills stepped in to provide free travel options for the Americans at risk.
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