Israel's Ethiopian Jewish community finally has an official memorial for the 4000 Ethiopian Jews who died waiting for Operation Moses.
The leaks mentioned in the article came primarily from official Israeli and American Jewish community sources over a period of several weeks. Both the New York Times and the Boston Globe had the story but held it, only printing it in disgust after American Jewish newspapers ran with the story at the direction of the Israeli government. But the operation continued, largely due to America increasing the payoff to the Sudanese.
The 'leak' that ended the operation was in fact a press conference called by then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres to confirm the "secret operation" to rescue Jews from Ethiopia.
Within 24 hours, the airlift had collapsed. Thousands of Jews died as a result of Mr. Peres's press conference. Yet the Knesset took no action against Mr. Peres and he continues to function as a public figure today.
Did Israel really want to save Ethiopia's Jews? Or did pressure generated by American activists on the American government create a rescue that Israel reluctantly participated in and eventually destroyed?
You be the judge.