With assistance by the US government and Jewish organizations
in the US, 300 Jews living in Rada, Yemen are scheduled to
emigrate by Pesach. Despite efforts by the Jewish Agency to
persuade them to move to Israel, one-third have opted to
immigrate to the US, which has caused considerable
embarrassment to aliyah officials in Israel.
In recent years the Jews of Rada, a city located north of the
capital city of Sanaa, have been subject to frequent physical
harassment by their Muslim neighbors and the threat to their
lives is real. Since last December's murder of R' Moshe Yaish-
Nahari Hy"d, a prominent figure in the Jewish
community, by a local Muslim who insisted he convert to
Islam, the US State Department has been in contact with the
Yemenite government to ameliorate the situation. The rescue
operation has been organized by United Jewish Communities
with assistance by organizations involved in resettlement of
Jewish refugees.
The Satmar community in New York is also providing special
assistance, maintaining constant contact with the
kehilloh in Yemen based on the experience Satmar
Chassidus has acquired in sheltering and integrating Jews
from crisis situations in various countries. Thanks to their
efforts, the US government has agreed to allow Jews to settle
in Monsey, New York, which offers the chareidi milieu needed
to accommodate their way of life.
The US Government is planning to pay flight costs and a
fundraising drive by the Jewish Federation will cover housing
and integration expenses. Hopefully the operation will be
carried out by Pesach to allow them to celebrate in a state
of cheirus. One hundred and thirteen Jews are slated
to relocate to the US and have already been interviewed by
the US Embassy in Sanaa. Between 130 and 150 Jews are
expected to move to Eretz Yisroel.
Originally the operation was to remain secret based on fears
among US officials that premature publicity could raise the
ire of extremists in Yemen, but it was revealed to the media
by Richard Wexler, chairman of the Jewish Agency's North
American Council, who attacked American Jewish leaders for
cooperating with Satmar, which is considered anti-Zionist.
Wexler claimed every effort should be made to have all the
Jews settle in Israel. He said bringing Yemenite Jews to the
US would be "a black chapter in history."
Senior officials at the Jewish Agency expressed surprise and
disappointment over the fundraising drive, especially the
involvement of chairman Howard Riger, since it is the primary
funding source for the Jewish Agency's work to bring
immigrants to Israel. "We adamantly oppose the immigration of
Jews of any kind to the US, including the group of Jews from
Yemen that will not be coming to the State of Israel. All
Jews from all of the diaspora communities, including Yemenite
Jews, belong in their homeland, Israel."
In response UJC heads said Jews are being extricated from
what can be described as a life-and-death situation. "We
decided to assist with the immigration, resettlement and
integration of Yemenite Jews whose lives are endangered due
to the rise in the number of violent incidents against Jews
in the country. We're working closely with the Jewish Agency
to encourage the Jews that remain in Yemen to immigrate to
the State of Israel. However, we will work to guarantee the
safety of those who chose to immigrate to the US."
