(Ha'aretz) Judy Maltz - The Jewish Agency airlifted 17 Yemeni Jews to Israel on Wednesday. Four adults and one child were flown directly from Yemen to Israel, where they were reunited with 12 other family members who had been residing in Argentina for the past two years. The operation was prompted by concerns for the safety of the small Jewish population of Yemen in the wake of growing threats from radical Islamist groups including al-Qaeda. These threats have intensified since the ouster of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Since 2009, 151 Yemeni Jews have arrived in Israel, while fewer than 90 Jews remain in Yemen today.
2013-08-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive