A Secure Place...Needed in Yemen

In 1948, Israel declared its independence and immediately became a secure place for Jews from all over the world. Jews came, in the years that followed, from all over the world, including places such as Yemen, where the people knew little of modern inventions such as planes.

When Yemen said they were displacing the Jewish population, the Jewish State of Israel was allowed to send planes to collect tens of thousands who were ready to flee. Their property was to remain in Yemen, but at least they had their lives. So, Israel sent the planes to Yemen, to a people who had never before seen planes, never dreamed they existed.

To ease the shock, the leaders of the community explained to the people that this was the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy, that they would return home to Zion, on the wings of eagles. Most of Yemen's 50,000 Jews were evacuated to Israel during 'Operation Magic Carpet', a massive airlift conducted in 1949-50, shortly after the establishment of the Jewish homeland.

While the vast majority of Yemen’s Jews left Yemen in the early years of Israel’s existence, there were some that chose to remain there. In waves, the small community is either ignored and allowed to prosper, or harassed and attacked. Lately, they have been under attack.

A few weeks ago, Moshe Yaish Nahari, a 39-year-old Jewish teacher, was gunned down in his village. A suspect, claiming the killing was a "way to get close to Allah," has since been arrested. Two petrol bombs were thrown at a Jewish home Monday, the latest in a string of anti-Semitic acts. Jewish residents say that despite the rising persecution, authorities have done nothing to curb incidents of vandalism, stone throwing, and death threats.

The latest news says that President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is planning to relocate the Muslim country's small Jewish population to the capital city of Sana following recent acts of violence against the small community, numbering approximately 400 people. Perhaps it is time that these last 400 consider coming to Israel, a place that has dedicated itself to being a true and secure place for the Jewish people.