Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07SANAA852
2007-05-08 09:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

JEWISH COMMUNITY'S SECURITY PERCEPTIONS

Tags:  PHUM PREL PREF IS YM 
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VZCZCXRO8503
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHYN #0852/01 1280908
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 080908Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7032
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0199
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0232
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 000852 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF IS YM
SUBJECT: JEWISH COMMUNITY'S SECURITY PERCEPTIONS
INCREASINGLY PESSIMISTIC

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SANAA 000852

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF IS YM
SUBJECT: JEWISH COMMUNITY'S SECURITY PERCEPTIONS
INCREASINGLY PESSIMISTIC

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 30 - May 1 Damon Stevens, from the
Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat
Anti-Semitism, conducted separate meetings with members of
the Jewish communities from Saada and Reyda, who expressed
serious concern about the deteriorating security situation in
northern Yemen. For the first time ever, the Reyda
community suggested they may need U.S. assistance to move to
the United States, United Kingdom, or Israel if the security
situation in their immediate area declined. Also marking a
big change from their previous views, the Saada families, now
living in Sanaa, were adamant that they would not return to
Saada under any circumstances, certain that they would be
targeted by al-Houthi sympathizers for revenge killings.
Stevens also met with the Minister of Human Rights, a Colonel
from the Ministry of Interior in charge of handling the
affairs of the Saada Jewish community, and the Minister of
Religious Affairs (see septel). ROYG representatives
expressed their seriousness about ensuring the continued
safety and well-being of the displaced Saada Jewish
community, which will be tested as Yemen looks for a durable
solution for this group. END SUMMARY

Reyda Community Fears Escalation of Conflict
- - - - - - - - - -


2. (C) Stevens and emboffs met with 25 men from the Reyda
community on April 30 in Amran city, an hour's drive north of
Sanaa. Their spokesman, Mr. Faiz al-Geradi, provided an
overview of the Yemeni Jewish community, stating that there
are a total of 362 total persons broken down into three
communities: 45 families consisting of 300 persons in the
Reyda community, four families consisting of 45 persons from
the Saada community now living in Sanaa, and one family
consisting of two persons (husband and wife) living in Arhab.


3. (C) Al-Geradi stated that they felt safe with President
Saleh and plan to remain in Yemen as long as they receive
protection, but they are concerned that the security
situation has the potential to deteriorate further. If it
does, he said the Reyda Jews would ask for US assistance to

move to the United States, United Kingdom, or Israel (Note:
This is a significant change for the Reyda Jewish community,
which has historically asserted that they would never leave
Yemen. End Note).


4. (C) Al-Geradi described the al-Houthi rebels in Saada as a
"disease that might be contagious," and feared that they may
be receiving growing support in the Saada governorate and
beyond. He also described the plight of two families living
in the tribal village of Haifa, near Reyda. Three months
ago, the families received threats from fellow villagers they
believed to be supporters of either the al-Houthis or an
Islamist political party. The families were ordered to leave
the village within three days by a crowd of more than one
hundred "extremists." Prominent tribal sheykhs attempted to
mediate and neutralize the "extremists," but to no avail.
One sheykh insisted that the homes of the families should be
purchased, even for a small price, insisting that they could
not be stolen.


5. (C) In effect, one family sold their home for the price of
one million Yemeni riyals (USD 5076),estimating the fair
market price to be four million Yemeni riyals (USD 20305),
and moved to Reyda. The Reyda community representatives
further explained that the rural areas devoid of government
authority, such as Haifa village, were "anarchic" and the
Jewish community could not rely on any protection there,
other than that of a sheykh. Reyda Jews, by contrast,
benefit from the presence of a central authority,
specifically the police, which reassures them of their
safety.

Saada Jews: 'We Will Not Go Back to Saada'
- - - - - - - - - -

6. (C) On May 1, Stevens and emboffs met with 26 men and
women from the Saada Jewish community at Sanaa's Tourist City
Apartment Complex. The community leader, Yahya Yousef
Moussa, reviewed the events that caused them to leave their
homes in the al-Salem district: the receipt of a threatening
letter from an al-Houthi supporter that gave them 10 days to
leave their homes, their hasty departure at night leaving
their possessions behind, and the details of their arrival

SANAA 00000852 002 OF 003


and stay at Saada city, where they lived at a local hotel for
15 days before moving to Sanaa.


7. (C) The group characterized relations with their Muslim
neighbors as good until the emergence of the al-Houthi
movement. He explained, along with others, that Muslim
friends and neighbors attempted to protect them, but
regretted that they were too weak against the threat of the
al-Houthis. Those same neighbors, however, continue to be
loyal to their Jewish brethren by taking care of their
livestock and property.


8. (C) Moussa put the al-Houthi threat in a tribal context
and identified four major tribes in the al-Salem area:
Maqahima, al- Ulay, Dhu Husayn, and the Dhu Qulayb. He
opined that the Maqahima and al- Ulay had no al-Houthi
supporters, but the Dhu Husayn had some, and the Dhu Qulayb
had numerous al-Houthi supporters. Moussa did not know the
number of al-Houthi fighters or supporters within the Dhu
Qulayb or in the Al Salem district. He identified the Dhu
Qulayb sheikh, Naji Bin Saleh Bakhtan, as the local al-Houthi
leader in the al-Salem area who had threatened them, allowed
people to fire at their homes during the 2004 and 2005 rounds
of fighting, set fire to his car in 2005, and was actively
recruiting on behalf of the Houthis in the governorate in the
current campaign. In response to a question on the alleged
presence of Iranians in al-Salem, Moussa responded that he
was unaware of any Iranian presence in the area.


9. (C) Moussa, with unanimous support from the group, stated
that under no circumstances would they return to Saada and
planned to remain in Sanaa indefinitely. "We have lost any
hope of going back. We have no hope of security," he said.
In response to a question outlining a scenario in which the
government defeats the al-Houthis and restores order in the
governorate, Moussa insisted they could not return even under
those conditions, because he was certain they would be
targeted for revenge killings by family members who lost
relatives in the war.

Minister of Human Rights Meeting
- - - - - - - - - -

10. (C) On May 30, the Charge, accompanied by Stevens and
poloff, met with the newly appointed Minister of Human
Rights, Dr. Huda al-Ban. The Minister welcomed Stevens and
explained that the Jewish community in Yemen are Yemenis,
above and beyond any religious affiliations. She stated that
constitutionally, they are allotted full rights as equal
citizens. In regard to Saada, she said that the ROYG would
compensate the displaced Jewish community for any property
damage during the conflict, commenting that the Jewish
community is benefiting from ROYG services "as much as other
Yemenis, if not more."

Ministry of Interior Meeting
- - - - - - - - - -

11. (C) On May 1, Stevens and emboffs met with MOI Colonel
Ahmed al-Jarbani at Tourist City to assess the status of the
Saada Jewish community residing there. Al-Jarbani expressed
the ROYG's humanitarian interest in caring for its Jewish
citizenry, commenting that the Jews of Saada were used as
pawns by the Houthis to challenge the ROYG's authority and
enflame the conflict. He detailed that the ROYG is providing
lodging and meals for the families, costing three million
Yemeni riyals per month, in addition to providing them with
pocket money totaling 300,000 Yemeni riyals per month. The
ROYG has also coordinated with a Sanaa primary and secondary
school, which the community's children now attend.

Comment
- - - - - - - - - -

12. (C) COMMENT: Throughout Stevens' visit, ROYG officials
showed cooperation and were anxious to hear his feedback on
their management of the Jewish communities difficulties in
Saada. Poloff received a phone call from al-Jarbani
following Stevens' visit to ask whether he was pleased with
what he saw, and wanted to make sure that the Office to
Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism recognized the ROYG's
serious efforts at protecting and assisting their Jewish
citizens. It must be noted as well, that no officials from
the Political Security Office (PSO) were present during
meetings with the Yemeni Jews, which is unusual for a meeting
between poloffs and Yemenis, particularly outside Sanaa.


SANAA 00000852 003 OF 003



13. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: Both Jewish communities' openness
in discussing security issues and their generally negative
prognosis is a marked departure in tone from our previous
meetings. The prolongation of the Saada conflict has had a
serious impact on the Saada and Reyda communities views' of
their status in Yemen. Their fear that the al-Houthis are
gaining support and that the conflict may spread is shared by
non-Jewish Yemenis inside and outside the Government. This
is the first time, however, that Yemen's remaining Jews have
communicated a willingness to consider a range of options, to
include emigration and resettlement. The Saada community
faces a challenging transition if they choose to resettle in
Sanaa, and we do not anticipate that the ROYG would be able
to finance their expenses indefinitely. Post assesses the
Reyda community will base a decision to emigrate on their
perception of the durability of the Saleh government, and on
any spillover from the Saada conflict in areas closer to
Reyda. END COMMENT


14. (C) Stevens did not have the opportunity to clear this
cable before departure. Names within should all be strictly
protected.
KRAJESKI