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Last update - 00:25 20/02/2009
Jewish Yemenite family arrives in Israel after secret rescue
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and the Associated Press
Tags: Yemen, anti-Semitism 

A small group of Yemenite Jews arrived in Israel on Thursday in a covert operation carried out by the Jewish Agency.

The Agency's Spokesman Michael Jankelowitz refused to say how the 10 people were rescued, citing security concerns, but said they had been threatened by al-Qaida.

The Ben Yisrael family was extricated from the city of Raida, after suffering from anti-Semitic attacks and repeated death threats.
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A few weeks ago, a grenade was thrown into the courtyard of the family's home in Raida, possibly by al Qaida-affiliated extremists.


Said Ben Yisrael, who heads the Raida Jewish community, and his family are due to take up Israeli citizenship upon their arrival. They will be taken to Beit Shemesh, accompanied by a Jewish Agency team.

There are approximately 280 Jews left today In Yemen, 230 of whom live in Raida in the Omran province, and another 50 Jews live in the capital city of Sana'a.

Yemenite Jews have the special protection of the President of Yemen Ali Abdallah Salah. In recent years, however, anti-Semitic attacks against Jews have spiralled out of control.

The tension reached a boiling point last December, when Moshe Yaish Nahari, father of 9, was murdered by a Muslim extremist.

Threats against Jews in Yemen have escalated following Israel's recent three-week offensive in Gaza.

Director General of the Jewish Agency, Moshe Vigdor, said that the Jewish Agency is closely following the situation of the community in Yemen and promises to help in any way possible.

Director-General of the Jewish Agency's Aliyah and Absorption Department Eli Cohen said that the Jewish Agency strives to ensure the safety of community members and that it is working to bring to Israel quickly most of the Jews in Yemen who wish to immigrate. The new immigrants will receive special assistance from the Jewish Agency, including a grant of 40,000 shekels per family.

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      1.   You call that a "Secret" 18:53  |  Jake 19/02/09
      2.   Why `covert operation`? Yemenite Jews can leave Yemen without the 19:21  |  JustMe 19/02/09
      3.   Yemen had laws to confiscate Jewish children 19:34  |  DavidAK 19/02/09
      4.   Its still not "ethnic cleansing" 20:00  |  Stephen Pearcy 19/02/09
      5.   JustMe 20:02  |  Brad 19/02/09
      6.   Just Me 20:18  |  Connie 19/02/09
      7.   RE: Justme 20:23  |  judith 19/02/09
      8.   Hope all the Yemenite Jews Come 20:42  |  Panda Bear 19/02/09
      9.   #4, Stephen P, Only When We Are in the Diaspora 21:39  |  Noach 19/02/09
      10.   # 6 Connie, I am no `expert`, but I have been to Yemen and met 23:39  |  JustMe 19/02/09
      11.   arab jewish yamenite 23:40  |  bashar 19/02/09
      12.   JustMe (#10) & Including Jews Really 00:48  |  Gil 20/02/09
      13.   JUST me.Just a little question.How many Jews are there in Egypt? 01:07  |  PETER SM 20/02/09
      14.   Bashar (#11) before WWII there were proud Germans 01:31  |  Gil 20/02/09
      15.   Bashar (#11) before WWII there were proud Germans 01:31  |  Gil 20/02/09
      16.   Time for Jews to come to Israel that is what Israel is all about! 01:32  |  Gil 20/02/09
      17.   Time for Jews to come to Israel that is what Israel is all about! 01:33  |  Gil 20/02/09
      18.   Yemen confiscated Jewish children 01:37  |  Yaacov 20/02/09
      19.   Just Me 01:44  |  Yaacov 20/02/09
      20.   Operation Magic Carpet 01:45  |  *BEN JABO 20/02/09
      21.   Anti Semtic??? 02:15  |  Bob 20/02/09
      22.   BOB Toronto.Not all women from Lesbos are Lesbians.Anti semitism 03:10  |  PETER SM 20/02/09
      23.   BOB Toronto.Not all women from Lesbos are Lesbians.Anti semitism 03:10  |  PETER SM 20/02/09
      24.   Bob...Just me...Bashar 03:24  |  Mikhael 20/02/09
      25.   where are you Maureen 03:28  |  Rab Burns 20/02/09
      26.   #11 Bashar - Yemeni Jews fled on foot 04:33  |  *BEN JABO 20/02/09
      27.   Give me a `P`! Give me an `R"! 05:47  |  Mark Lincoln 20/02/09
      28.   #27 Lincoln - It sure does say something 18:13  |  *BEN JABO 20/02/09
      29.   Trying for the second time ! 14:14  |  Amir 21/02/09
      30.   To Gil # 18 "Time for..." 14:44  |  Amir 21/02/09
      31.   #27...What it says is 09:37  |  Mikhael 22/02/09
      32.   the truth !!! 13:47  |  a human being 24/02/09
      33.   covert operation of Yermenite Jews 13:40  |  K.G. Khan 22/03/09
      34.   harrasment of jews 13:48  |  KGK 22/03/09
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