News
In covert operation Israel rescues Jews from Yemen
Nineteen Jews from Yemen arrived in Israel yesterday, ending a secret operation to rescue the few remaining Jews from the war-torn country, who have become increasingly embattled and threatened.
One family arrived from Yemen’s capital Sanaa, while most of the group came from the town of Raydah, including the community’s rabbi. The operation was coordinated by the quasi-governmental Jewish Agency, which is responsible for the immigration and absorption of Jews to Israel. However, Channel Two reported that the operation also involved the US State Department, as Israel has no diplomatic ties with Yemen.
Yemen’s Jewish community dates back around two thousand years and enjoys a rich and unique cultural tradition. However, after the community came under threat, around 50,000 Yemenite Jews were secretly airlifted to Israel in 1949 in “Operation Magic Carpet,” leaving just a small community in Yemen. In recent years, these remaining Jews have been increasingly threatened by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who last year seized Sanaa. The Houthi logo includes the phrases “Death to Israel” and “Damn the Jews.”
A number of incidents in recent years have increased concern for Yemen’s Jews, including the murder of two Jewish leaders and the apparent forced conversion and marriage of a Jewish woman to a Muslim man. The Jewish Agency said that in recent years, around 200 people have been rescued in “numerous covert operations to spirit Jews out of Yemen and bring them to Israel.” However, around 50 Jews have opted to remain in Yemen. Most are in a closed compound adjacent to the United States’ embassy in Sanaa.
Yesterday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the nineteen new arrivals, saying “Welcome to Jerusalem, to the land of Israel.” He told them, “I’m very excited to see you here. For many years we thought about bringing you here and with God’s help, it’s happened.” Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky hailed the operation as “a highly significant moment in the history of Israel.”