Sana’a – A Yemeni Jewish rabbi demanded the British government not give asylum to Yemeni Jews who want to leave their country because of alleged persecution.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
“The attempts to take the Jews from Yemen are attempts to damage the reputation of Yemen as a country without tolerance,” said Rabbi Yahya Yousif. “I do not agree with my brothers the Jews, who allow others to distort Yemen, our homeland,” he added.
This comes after press reports that Britain is about to offer asylum to a group of Yemeni Jews who applied for it due to alleged persecution in Yemen. “I have information that a group of Jews in Raidah have the desire to leave Yemen for Britain, but I think this is not justifiable,” the rabbi said. “This is our homeland, and the homeland of our grand parents. We are fine here, secure, and our rights are given.”
Rabbi Yahya Yousif, along with a group of about 70 Jews have been living in a government-run residential compound in the Yemeni capital Sana’a since 2006, when Houthi rebels forced them to leave their houses in the town of al-Salem, in Sa’adah.
There are about 260 Jews still living in the most tribal and conservative province of the town of Raida, Amran province, about 50 km north of Sana’a. The Yemeni government promised to transfer them to Sana’a like the group from al-Salem, after one of them was killed by a religious extremist who had demanded that the victim convert to Islam or die. Later the killer was sentenced to death.
The Jews in Raida have complained to journalists and human rights groups of instances of harassment and persecution, yet they are not able to leave for Sana’a. They also face difficulties in selling their houses and lands.
“We want to move to Sana’a like our brothers from al-Salem, but we want compensation for our houses and lands first. The government kept promising us, but nothing has happened,” said one of the Jews in Raida. “If our problem is not solved, we’ll go to hell, not only to Israel or Britain,” said the Jew, who asked not to be named.
A source close to the Jews in Raida said that all of the 260 Jews are only waiting for the appropriate time to leave Yemen for Britain. A diplomat from the UK embassy in Sana’a declined to deny or confirm that asylum had been granted.
Does he have tzizits on that talis?
He’s a sephardic version of the nk. Rachmonis on him.
v’nishmartem m’oiyd lenofshoisaichem, i know its easy for me to say it but the torah is still the boss!!
Move to Israel Rabbi-your exile is likely over.
This Galus is making my brain implode.
I guess he has too much hashish. Let him stay behind and enjoy his mother land. It’s communism, everybody has to like it or else….
He is a “rabbi” like all the rabbis in the media….
It seems clear to me that his words are probably being coerced by the Yemenite government to make themselves look better to the rest of the world. His statement sounds similar to many others who were in similar situations to him, like the Iranian Jews who have been forced to say nice things about Iran in order to placate the government. We should not be swayed by this facade being put up by the anti-semetic Yemenite government and continue to try and help our brothers trapped there.
Definitely wondering if he released this statement willingly.
“Rabbi Yahya Yousif, along with a group of about 70 Jews have been living in a government-run residential compound in the Yemeni capital Sana’a since 2006, when Houthi rebels forced them to leave their houses in the town of al-Salem, in Sa’adah.”
“The attempts to take the Jews from Yemen are attempts to damage the reputation of Yemen as a country without tolerance,” said Rabbi Yahya Yousif. “I do not agree with my brothers the Jews, who allow others to distort Yemen, our homeland,” he added.”
Really Rabbi? You’re locked up for your own safety. For G-d’s sake, wake up and smell the coffee.
Don’t people realize that he his statement may be forced? He may have had his family threatened.
The poor fellow was coerced, he is not a free agent.
The government in Yemen “encouraged” him to make a statement.
All the remaining Jews need to be assisted to leave as soon as possible.
They should be free to choose their destination be it Israel, the UK or the US
For all those of you criticsing this Rabbi, why dont you think before you speak. Just because he doesn`t look and dress like a hemishe yid from der heim that doesn`t allow you to make baseless comments that smell of intolerance.
Those who say he sounds like a Neturi Karta, should use their head to realise that he is very likely being forced to make these statements by a government that would like to at least appear that it is tolerant and not only willing but also able to protect it’s jews.
Just cos he doesn`t look like a chassidhe rav does that doesn`t mean he isn`t a rabbi, how on earth can you tell how much torah he knows just from looking at him, i know many people who don`t have the apearance of a rav but know more torah than some rabbonim.
And the comments about his dress are ridiculous, does the scarf he is wearing need tzitzit i don`t know, but don`t pass judgement on such things until you definetly know yourself, and obviously this is the way jews in yemen dress, so just respect it, who cares if it different, who are ssatmar chassidim to impose their dress styles on yemenite jews, which they often seem to do.