Post by Paddy by Grace on Aug 25, 2009 19:13:04 GMT -7
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1109886.html
Muslim extremists force Yemen Jews to flee to Israel
Three Jewish families from Yemen are scheduled to arrive this week in Israel, a Yemeni rabbi told Reuters yesterday. The move comes after Shi'ite extremist groups aired threats against the community.
Rabbi Yahya Yusuf Musa said the arrivals represent only a small portion of the country's remaining Jewish population of 200-300 people, but expressed concern over the small community dwindling even further.
In June, a group of Yemeni Jews was transferred with government assistance from the war-torn Saada region in the country's north to the capital of Sanaa, after a Jewish man, Moshe Yaish al-Nahari, was murdered by a Muslim assailant.
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Two weeks ago, Yemen's army launched a comprehensive campaign against Shi'ite rebels in Saada, including aerial attacks, artillery and tanks. They have already killed 100 rebels, the government said.
The war in Saada has been waged for close to five years, and is fast becoming part of the struggle for power between major regional players Iran and Saudi Arabia. Observers believe Iran is attempting to use the conflict to turn the country - strategically-placed astride the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden - into its own proxy.
Yemen's government announced this week that Iranian weapons were discovered among the rebels' arms caches. Meanwhile, Iranian news outlets reported that Saudi Arabia was working with the Yemeni government to suppress the revolt in the northern region.
The ongoing conflict in Saada is the result of the dissolution of the cease-fire agreement achieved a year ago between the Yemeni government and the al-Houthi family, which has seized the bulk of land in the governorate. Yemeni forces are battling local organizations affiliated with Al-Qaida, as well as tribal groups opposed to the national government.
Two years ago, the Yemeni government launched an armed campaign against the al-Houthi family's control. The move was largely motivated by the government's fear that the family would criticize President Ali Abdullah Saleh's potential succession by his son, drawing widespread public opposition to the transfer of power. The government also sought to demonstrate to militant organizations in the country's south that it was capable of fighting terror.
Army forces, however, struggled to conduct their operations in tribal areas, taking heavy losses and eventually withdrawing. A tenuous deal was ultimately reached with the rebels through Qatari mediation, but was violated two weeks ago as the conflict flared up again, the sixth round of fighting so far.
Now the government is again seeking a cease-fire agreement, but the al-Houthi family has continued waging war against the government and resisted returning to the negotiating table.
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Muslim extremists force Yemen Jews to flee to Israel
Three Jewish families from Yemen are scheduled to arrive this week in Israel, a Yemeni rabbi told Reuters yesterday. The move comes after Shi'ite extremist groups aired threats against the community.
Rabbi Yahya Yusuf Musa said the arrivals represent only a small portion of the country's remaining Jewish population of 200-300 people, but expressed concern over the small community dwindling even further.
In June, a group of Yemeni Jews was transferred with government assistance from the war-torn Saada region in the country's north to the capital of Sanaa, after a Jewish man, Moshe Yaish al-Nahari, was murdered by a Muslim assailant.
Advertisement
Two weeks ago, Yemen's army launched a comprehensive campaign against Shi'ite rebels in Saada, including aerial attacks, artillery and tanks. They have already killed 100 rebels, the government said.
The war in Saada has been waged for close to five years, and is fast becoming part of the struggle for power between major regional players Iran and Saudi Arabia. Observers believe Iran is attempting to use the conflict to turn the country - strategically-placed astride the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden - into its own proxy.
Yemen's government announced this week that Iranian weapons were discovered among the rebels' arms caches. Meanwhile, Iranian news outlets reported that Saudi Arabia was working with the Yemeni government to suppress the revolt in the northern region.
The ongoing conflict in Saada is the result of the dissolution of the cease-fire agreement achieved a year ago between the Yemeni government and the al-Houthi family, which has seized the bulk of land in the governorate. Yemeni forces are battling local organizations affiliated with Al-Qaida, as well as tribal groups opposed to the national government.
Two years ago, the Yemeni government launched an armed campaign against the al-Houthi family's control. The move was largely motivated by the government's fear that the family would criticize President Ali Abdullah Saleh's potential succession by his son, drawing widespread public opposition to the transfer of power. The government also sought to demonstrate to militant organizations in the country's south that it was capable of fighting terror.
Army forces, however, struggled to conduct their operations in tribal areas, taking heavy losses and eventually withdrawing. A tenuous deal was ultimately reached with the rebels through Qatari mediation, but was violated two weeks ago as the conflict flared up again, the sixth round of fighting so far.
Now the government is again seeking a cease-fire agreement, but the al-Houthi family has continued waging war against the government and resisted returning to the negotiating table.
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This web site contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Administrators are making it available without profit to War of 2 Worlds members and visitors who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance their knowledge of World events for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair
use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Any written or graphic material originally written or created by The Web Site Owner is his property and is protected by copyright. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.