Yemeni Jews on receiving end as relocation plan flops

Raidah: The bloody events shown daily on TV in the Gaza Strip have undoubtedly aggravated attitudes toward Yemeni Jews despite their repeated condemnation of the war.

"They are just spying for Israel, why do you bother interviewing them, why don't you go to Gaza and see what the other Jews are doing to the Palestinians," said a passerby, when I asked him to direct me to the Jewish neighbourhood in Raidah.

Nevertheless, I was able to get some Jews who gladly accepted to be interviewed.

Saeed Bin Saeed, a Jew in his early 50s, said he will not leave his house in Raida despite all the death threats from Muslim extremists triggered by the war in Gaza.

Saeed is a relatively affluent Jew and he thinks moving to Sana'a - where the government wants to move the Jews ostensibly for security reasons - will result in his losing everything he owns.

"I don't want to leave my house and properties and I don't care if my Jewish brothers want to leave," Saeed told Gulf News last week after the transfer process failed for the second time after the government fixed January 4 for their relocation to Sana'a.

The Jewish community in Raidah, 80km north of Sana'a, includes 266 members, according to statistics compiled by community leaders. The government says it has allocated two buildings to house the Jews in Sana'a where it could protect them from extremists.

Mousa Yaish, a member of the community, was shot dead on December 11 by an extremist - who said later in court he did so to get closer to Allah.

Ready to protect

Unlike Saeed, 50-year-old Yousuf Yaish says he has to leave because his family is worried, following the increase of harassments and threats from the locals.

"I feel like it's someone slaughtering me with a big knife. When I leave my house I have this feeling of uncertainty. I worry that I'll not be able to return home alive," said Yousuf at the gate of his house in Raida. He was waiting for a bus to transfer his family to Sana'a. "But we have to leave because the threats increased and the government told us to leave for our security and we should obey."

The government has assured them that their houses and properties will be safe, but also added, "it's up to you to decide if you want to sell them."

Their Muslim neighbours who came to see them off expressed sadness to see their fellow Jewish neighbours of so many years leaving.

"I'm very sad to see my Jewish friends leaving, they were always nice to us and we were also good to them," said Qasem Hussain.

"There are bad and good people everywhere, and the ones who have been threatening to kill the Jews do not represent us. Those are just criminals," said Hussain.

Saleh Meftah, a 60-year-old Muslim, said he was ready to protect the Jews who do not want to be moved to Sana'a. "They are our neighbours, and they are Yemenis who have been living here for many years. We are sad to see them leaving, but if anyone wants to stay, we will stand by him and protect him," said Meftah.

But 13-year-old Jew Neftalin Sulaiman said he has had enough of the harassments from some hostile fanatics. "Our neighbours here are very nice to us, but not everybody is like them," said Neftalin who looked happy to move to Sana'a.