Tuesday, April 14, 2009
In Yemen, the Jewish Community shrinks, and shrinks: Yemen Times: Yemeni Jews gradually migrate to the US and Israel
The Jews of Yemen who preferred to stay in their country are guaranteed a decent life in line with all legal, constitutional, and religious rights. They are entitled to enjoy these rights in the same manner that other people in society do, regardless of their religious affiliations.
The land, history, and soil of this country have intertwined with their lives and made them who they are today. Their ordeals should be considered ordeals for all Yemenis and not just for Jewish citizens.
Aggression against Jews
The aggression and intimidation practiced against the Jewish population during the recent period brings to light a number of questions. Where is the role of the government and its security and judicial apparatuses? And why does the government relinquish its commitments toward its citizens?...
Jews defend themselves in the one country they have and are driven out of all the rest, but Israel is an apartheid state?
Sigh. If only that question could be prominently displayed across the masts of the MSM. That is truly the question of the decade.
If that's really a question rather than an inflection, the answer is because they're Jews. Remember what Tom Lehrer sang about so many years ago: "...and everybody hates the Jews..."
I recall reading - some time ago in a monograph and am not sure if it's verifiable or otherwise - that the then contemporary, local Jewish community played a critical role in the very founding of Yemen, but were subsequently driven from the centers of power, within a decade or two after the founding. Don't recall the provenance, etc. of the information and cannot recall specifics, so a grain of salt is in order.