The Jews of Yemen constitued one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, dating back two millennia. That community essentially no longer exists: Almost all Yemenite Jews have left the country. Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen’s Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet. Until recently, a handful of Jews remained. Now comes word from Saudi news source Asharq Al-Awsat (and reported on by The Jerusalem Post): “The last three Jewish families in Yemen were deported by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, leaving only four elderly Jews in the country.”
Quote: “The families, totaling 13 people, told Asharq Al-Awsat that they were now searching for a new home. The families had resisted leaving, but finally agreed after the Houthis made their departure a condition for the release of Levi Salem Marhabi, a Jew who was captured by the rebels about six years ago.”
Sources: Wikipedia (introduction), The Jerusalem Post (introduction and quotation)
Learn more about the Jews of Yemen from Wikipedia. ►
Read “Almost all remaining Jews in Yemen deported — Saudi media” ►
Watch “Yemenite Jews” [13:39] from 2014. ►
Photo: Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
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