Forty-five Jews in Yemen were transported on Sunday to the state capital of Sanaa after they were harassed by neighbors in their native town of Saada. The families traveled on a special flight arranged by the President of Yemen, Ali Abudullah Saleh.

The families were resettled in government apartments within walking distance from one other. The security situation in Sanaa is calmer than in Saada, where the Jews were under constant threat from radical elements.

In a telephone conversation with friends in Israel, some of the Yemenite Jews said that they receive a stipend from the government. They also said they have no interest in immigrating to Israel at the present time, and that they hope their situation will improve now that they have been settled in Sanaa.

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There are several hundred Jews left in Yemen. Many of those living in Saada have received death threats in recent months from neighboring supporters of the deceased Shi'ite-Zeidi opposition leader, cleric Hussein Badr Eddin al-Houti. However, some of the Jews say that their persecutors were affiliated with al-Qaida, a Sunni organization.

Clashes between government forces and al-Houti's supporters have escalated over the last few days.