U.S. to aid in rescue of persecuted Yemen Jews

The United States government is taking part in efforts to extricate Jews in Yemen who have been the subject of physical harassment from their Muslim neighbors.

The rescue efforts focus on 300 Jews from the Yemenite town of Rada, north of the capital Sanaa.

The State Department has maintained a weeks-long dialog with Yemenite authorities over the fate of the country's Jewish community. The issue took on more urgency following the murder this past December of a prominent activist in the Jewish community, Moshe Yaish Nahari.

It is unclear if the U.S. involvement in helping facilitate the Jews' exit from Yemen is the result of an initiative by Washington or an appeal from Israel. The operation is the brainchild of the umbrella group United Jewish Communities, which is being aided by other organizations specializing in absorbing and resettling refugees.

The Satmar Hassidic sect in New York is extending special assistance to help the new immigrants put down roots in the United States. Originally, the government intended to provide housing for the immigrants in North Dakota.

Yet, functionaries intervened on behalf of the Satmar movement and convinced the authorities to permit their resettlement in Monsey, New York, a town north of New York City that is known for its large Hassidic population.