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Families flee Yemen for US

November 5, 2009 14:41

ByAnonymous, Anonymous

1 min read

Dozens of Jews have been evacuated from Yemen in a clandestine operation by the US government.

Yemen’s Jewish population is thought to date back about 2,500 years. The majority of its Jews, about 49,000 people, were airlifted to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet during 1949 and 1950. By the beginning of this year, about 300 remained.

Yemen has become increasingly unstable and growing Islamic militancy has brought a rise in antisemitism.

Last December, a leading member of Yemen’s Jewish community was shot dead by a man demanding he convert to Islam. Following the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Yemeni Jews say they were harassed and attacked.