SAADA JEWS SAFE IN SANAA

UNCLAS SANAA 000395

SIPDIS

CORRECTED COPY - PARA. 7 AND 8 CHANGED TO SBU

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CHANGE PARA 7/8 TO SBU)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MOPS PHUM PINR PREL YM
SUBJECT: SAADA JEWS SAFE IN SANAA

REF: A. SANAA 85

B. SANAA 115


1. (U) SUMMARY: Poloffs met on March 13 in Sanaa with Jewish
families displaced by fighting that erupted in Saada in late
January (reftels). Poloffs met, under the auspices of the
MFA and Interior Ministry, with approximately 30 people from
two major families. All members of the Jewish community that
we spoke to voiced their gratitude to President Saleh for his
support and protection. They also explained that they are
proud to be Yemenis, and have no desire to leave their
country. The families requested that poloffs provide
religious texts in advance of the Passover holiday in April,
and invited members of the Embassy community to join in the
festivities. END SUMMARY

"All We Have Is God and Saleh"
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2. (U) Poloffs had separate meetings with the two largest
Jewish families who were displaced from their homes in
al-Salem, Saada governorate due to threats to their safety by
supporters of rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. All 45 of
the al-Salem Jews are living in apartments at the Tourist
City complex across the street from the Embassy. The
apartments that poloffs visited were furnished with
armchairs, mattresses, televisions, gas cooking stoves,
running water, and electricity. NOTE: The Tourist City
complex is a gated community with soldiers guarding the
entrances, small parks, swimming pools, and shops. Despite
its name, Tourist City is not a major tourist destination,
but is a mixed-use residential and commercial complex housing
a variety of Yemenis and foreigners. The complex is owned by
a relative of President Saleh. END NOTE


3. (U) During the first meeting, a middle-aged man
representing his community thanked poloffs sincerely for
their visit and explained that the families' needs have been
taken care of by President Saleh and by Uthman Hussein Fayed
al-Mugalli, a Member of Parliament from Saada, who is
providing their food and spending money. He emphasized the
gratefulness of the Jewish community to the President, saying
"all we have is God and Saleh."

"We Will Not Move From Yemen Even a Step"
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4. (U) Asked about Israeli press reports alleging that they
were forbidden from leaving the country to go to Israel, the
Jewish families strongly denied such claims, explaining that
they are Yemenis and will not move from Yemen "even a step."
"We are Yemenis until death," they reiterated and expressed
love for their country. One individual commented that
"religion belongs to God and the country belongs to all." In
addition, they explained that they did not have problems
before the Al-Houthi rebellion, and that they have been
protected by the tribes for generations.

Security
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5. (U) Poloffs asked whether the families would want to
return to Saada after the conflict came to an end. All but
one expressed a desire to return back to their homes, but
explained that "we cannot leave here until we have a secure
place to go to." One elderly woman told poloff that she did
not want to return to Saada, even after the conflict is
resolved. She explained that her brother was killed seven
years ago and her son was physically attacked five years ago.
She explained that she did not know why they were attacked.
Poloff asked whether they were targeted because they were
Jews, or because of a general lack of security, but she
repeated that she did not know and did not connect the
attacks to the al-Houthis. She said that her son was taken
care of and received medical attention at the government's
expense. She reiterated, however, that she did not want to
leave Sanaa, as she feels safe in the capital city.

Education and Religious Practice
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6. (U) Poloff inquired about the educational status of the
approximately 30 children among the displaced, and the
families explained that they were not attending schools. One
woman stated that they need to attend Hebrew schools and
there are no such schools in Sanaa, so families are
home-schooling the children. One community elder asked for
notebooks and pens for the children, which Pol OMS provided
the same afternoon. Community elders also said that, while
their material needs were being met by the Yemeni Government,
they did not have any religious materials, as they fled their
homes in Saada without them. One elder asked if the Embassy
could provide some religious texts in Hebrew in time for the
Passover holiday, which he hoped Embassy officers could
celebrate with the families.

Comment
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7. (SBU) COMMENT: Post was able to confirm through this visit
that the Jewish families are provided housing and protection
by the ROYG. The MFA was cooperative in setting up the
meeting, although Interior Ministry officials were present
during most of our discussions. In keeping with Yemeni
tradition, however, a woman poloff was able to meet and talk
separately with the Jewish women, who echoed their male
relatives' praise for Saleh's protection and affirmation of
their desire to stay in Yemen.


8. (SBU) Post will work with the NEA/ARP Yemen/Oman deskoff to
find a U.S. organization that may be able to send 45
religious texts that the community elders requested of poloff
in time for Passover.
KRAJESKI