57 JEWS MAKE THEIR EXODUS FROM YEMEN, RESETTLE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 002043

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AMACDONALD, DRL JBARGHOUT AND JKERN, PRM
LBARTLETT AND SGRAVES
AMMAN FOR RINGRAHAM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2019
TAGS: PHUM PREF KIRF YM
SUBJECT: 57 JEWS MAKE THEIR EXODUS FROM YEMEN, RESETTLE IN
U.S.

REF: SANAA 1093

Classified By: Ambassador Stephen Seche for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. Despite bureaucratic, logistical, cultural
and personal hurdles, 57 Yemeni Jews traveled to the U.S. in
2009 as part of the special P-1 refugee resettlement process.
The most recent group of Jewish refugees traveled on October
26 amid death threats from an estranged ex-husband and
spurious rumors of a "hold" on the family's passports at the
Sana'a Airport, barring it from travel. Approximately 143
individuals remain in the threatened Reyda community while 60
individuals live under ROYG protection in the capital of
Sana'a. The Jewish community in Yemen has not reported any
specific threats since June, but the rapidly deteriorating
security situation in the country ) including war in the
north and ongoing al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
activities ) could further menace Yemen's remaining Jewish
population. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Since the December 2008 murder of prominent Jewish
community leader Moshe Yaish Nahari in Reyda (Amran
governorate),181 Yemeni Jews applied for special refugee
resettlement in the U.S. under the P-1 process. As of
November 9, 2009, 57 Yemeni Jews (13 family cases) had
qualified for resettlement and traveled to the U.S. (Note:
All immigrants to the U.S. came from the Reyda community.
None of the Jews from Sa'ada living in Sana'a under ROYG
protection chose to apply for refugee resettlement in the
U.S. In conversations with PolOff in September and October,
Rabbi Yahya of the Sana'a Jewish community said that he and
his neighbors lived in relative peace and security. Jewish
children were granted scholarships to local private schools
and the community worshipped and celebrated weddings freely.
End Note.) Earlier trouble with non-issuance of Jewish
passports was resolved by June, and except for a few isolated
cases of divorced or separated women seeking to travel alone
(illegal without the husband's approval according to Yemeni
law),the Yemeni Jews did not face significant ROYG
resistance during travel. One hurdle, however, was the
difficulty Jews faced in selling personal property in Reyda;
some Jewish families said they could not leave the country
without selling their homes, which they said Muslim neighbors
were not willing to buy because they were waiting to simply
take possession of them after the Jews emigrated.


3. (C) The most dramatic case to date was the Sabari
family's October 26 departure from Yemen. An estranged
ex-husband of one of the female family members ) already on
the lam for killing his nephew in 2004 ) threatened to
attack the family on their way to the airport and said he was
having his contacts at the National Security Bureau place a
hold on the family's passports, preventing them from leaving
the country. Post contacted Ministry of Interior to request
ROYG security for the Sabari family, who arrived safely in
the U.S. on October 27. According to Rabbi David Niederman,
President of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg,
the Sabaris called their departure from Yemen "Yetzias
Mitzrayim," an Old Testament reference to the miraculous
Jewish exodus from Egypt.


4. (C) In addition to the 57 Jews who have traveled to the
U.S., approximately 50 Yemeni Jews have emigrated to Israel
during 2009. Post estimates that 143 individuals remain in
the Reyda community while 60 individuals live under ROYG
protection in the capital of Sana'a. Of those who remain,
however, 38 are still active in the P-1 process and could
qualify for resettlement in 2010. The Jewish Agency
estimates that another 10 to 20 Yemeni Jews have also
expressed interest in relocating to Israel in the future.
(Note: Of the original 181 applicants who entered the P-1
process in January, 81 cases were closed for various reasons
and five individuals were denied resettlement. End Note.)


5. (C) Yemen's less than 200 remaining Jews are in a
precarious position. Although the community has not reported
any direct threats since a menacing letter received in June
(reftel),the overall security situation in Yemen continues
to deteriorate. The sixth round of fighting in the north,
which has raged since August, and accompanying rise of the
Houthis, prevents any near-term return of the Sa'ada Jewish
population currently residing under ROYG protection in
Sana'a. In 2009, the fighting moved far south from Sa'ada
into Amran governorate ) less than 40 kilometers from Reyda
) and could directly threaten that population in the future.
Also, the ongoing activities of al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP) against ROYG and Western targets could
further menace the Yemeni Jewish population. A misleading

Wall Street Journal article, entitled "Secret Mission Rescues
Yemen's Jews," which described a U.S. government clandestine
program to rescue Yemeni Jews, received significant coverage
in the local media. The Yemeni media focused largely on the
falsely reported clandestine aspect of the process. Coverage
of the issue died down after a couple of days, however,
largely replaced by new reports of Saudi involvement in the
Sa'ada war.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) Yemen's historic Jewish community appears to be, if
not dying out, scattering to diasporas around the world. As
the community shrinks and the situation in Yemen worsens, the
fewer than 200 Jews who remain are increasingly likely to
seize opportunities to emigrate as they arise. Post thanks
the Department and partners for significantly expediting the
processing of applicants in the P-1 process. Post will
continue to closely monitor the security of the Yemeni Jewish
community. END COMMENT.
SECHE