Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Sources told Asharaq Al-Awsat newspaper that 17 Yemeni Jews were deported from Sana’a to Tel Aviv. The trip started from ‘Amran governorate and Sana’a two days ago, with international mediators organizing all procedures.

Sources also reveal that the Jewish Yemenis exited the country on a flight which took off from the airport of Sana’a and landed in Queen Alia International Airport, Amman, Jordan.

Finally, the group was moved on another flight to Israel. No comments were made by Jordanian officials until late night Tuesday.

Exclusive information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reveals that the Jews who migrated to Israel are the family of the Yemeni citizen Suleiman Jacob al-Nahari, who is also a Rabbi.

The seven-member family, originating from the ‘Amran governorate, resided in a neighborhood north of Sana’a.

Other members who joined the exodus are identified as the Jews of the touristic residential city located in Sana’a. They originally belong to Al-Salem Jewish tribe, and were uprooted by Houthis from their homes and villages in Saada governorate early 2007.

Some sources exposed that large sums of money were given to Houthi militias as to ease out the group’s escape from the war-torn country.

A source close to Jews in Yemen told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that “the increasing fears of Jews in Yemen, the lack of stability and ongoing war are considered a principal reason as to why they have left”

He emphasized that Yemeni Jews migrating from Saada to the residential city don’t exceed a total of 53 men and women.

An official at the Jewish Agency, which led the escape process, revealed that the plan was to move all the remaining Arab-Jews in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon to Israel. Over the past four months, 49 Arab- Jews were moved, while another 100 preferred to remain in their Arab homelands.

The official added that the plan has been put to effect a year ago, yet it faced many difficulties. However, it successfully made contact with all Jews across the Arab world.

A hundred Yemeni Jews were contacted a year ago, another 12 in Baghdad, Iraq, 18 in Syria, and 10 in Lebanon.

The official refused to divulge details on the process of transferring the Jews into Israel, yet, mentioned that since 2008, after a Yemeni Jewish citizen was killed, around 200 Yemeni Jews were moved to Tel Aviv, while a 100 refused to leave Yemen. After Houthis taking over most Yemeni regions, Jews were subject to oppression. The official said that “Houthi militants dominating Sana’a and Raydah have used extortion on Jews to convert to Islam, in addition to two Jewish girls being kidnapped and forced to marry Muslim Houthis”

“Rabbi Suleiman Jacob al-Nahari was forced into selling his house for a sixth of its true worth,” the official added.

*Asharq Alawsat