VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHYN #0395/01 0731350
ZNR UUUUU ZZH(CCY CHANGED PARA 7/8 TO SBU AD910D39 MSI9700)
P 141350Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6547
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 0230

UNCLAS SANAA 000395 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CORRECTED COPY - PARA. 7 AND 8 CHANGED TO SBU 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  (CHANGE PARA 7/8 TO SBU) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PHUM PINR PREL YM
SUBJECT: SAADA JEWS SAFE IN SANAA 
 
REF: A. SANAA 85 
     ¶B. SANAA 115 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  Poloffs met on March 13 in Sanaa with Jewish 
families displaced by fighting that erupted in Saada in late 
January (reftels).  Poloffs met, under the auspices of the 
MFA and Interior Ministry, with approximately 30 people from 
two major families.  All members of the Jewish community that 
we spoke to voiced their gratitude to President Saleh for his 
support and protection.  They also explained that they are 
proud to be Yemenis, and have no desire to leave their 
country.  The families requested that poloffs provide 
religious texts in advance of the Passover holiday in April, 
and invited members of the Embassy community to join in the 
festivities.  END SUMMARY 
 
"All We Have Is God and Saleh" 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (U) Poloffs had separate meetings with the two largest 
Jewish families who were displaced from their homes in 
al-Salem, Saada governorate due to threats to their safety by 
supporters of rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.  All 45 of 
the al-Salem Jews are living in apartments at the Tourist 
City complex across the street from the Embassy.  The 
apartments that poloffs visited were furnished with 
armchairs, mattresses, televisions, gas cooking stoves, 
running water, and electricity.  NOTE:  The Tourist City 
complex is a gated community with soldiers guarding the 
entrances, small parks, swimming pools, and shops.  Despite 
its name, Tourist City is not a major tourist destination, 
but is a mixed-use residential and commercial complex housing 
a variety of Yemenis and foreigners.  The complex is owned by 
a relative of President Saleh.  END NOTE 
 
¶3. (U)  During the first meeting, a middle-aged man 
representing his community thanked poloffs sincerely for 
their visit and explained that the families' needs have been 
taken care of by President Saleh and by Uthman Hussein Fayed 
al-Mugalli, a Member of Parliament from Saada, who is 
providing their food and spending money.  He emphasized the 
gratefulness of the Jewish community to the President, saying 
"all we have is God and Saleh." 
 
"We Will Not Move From Yemen Even a Step" 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4.  (U) Asked about Israeli press reports alleging that they 
were forbidden from leaving the country to go to Israel, the 
Jewish families strongly denied such claims, explaining that 
they are Yemenis and will not move from Yemen "even a step." 
"We are Yemenis until death," they reiterated and expressed 
love for their country.  One individual commented that 
"religion belongs to God and the country belongs to all."  In 
addition, they explained that they did not have problems 
before the Al-Houthi rebellion, and that they have been 
protected by the tribes for generations. 
 
Security 
- - - - - 
 
¶5. (U) Poloffs asked whether the families would want to 
return to Saada after the conflict came to an end.  All but 
one expressed a desire to return back to their homes, but 
explained that "we cannot leave here until we have a secure 
place to go to."  One elderly woman told poloff that she did 
not want to return to Saada, even after the conflict is 
resolved.  She explained that her brother was killed seven 
years ago and her son was physically attacked five years ago. 
 She explained that she did not know why they were attacked. 
Poloff asked whether they were targeted because they were 
Jews, or because of a general lack of security, but she 
repeated that she did not know and did not connect the 
attacks to the al-Houthis.  She said that her son was taken 
care of and received medical attention at the government's 
expense. She reiterated, however, that she did not want to 
leave Sanaa, as she feels safe in the capital city. 
 
Education and Religious Practice 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶6. (U) Poloff inquired about the educational status of the 
approximately 30 children among the displaced, and the 
families explained that they were not attending schools. One 
woman stated that they need to attend Hebrew schools and 
there are no such schools in Sanaa, so families are 
home-schooling the children.  One community elder asked for 
notebooks and pens for the children, which Pol OMS provided 
the same afternoon.  Community elders also said that, while 
their material needs were being met by the Yemeni Government, 
they did not have any religious materials, as they fled their 
homes in Saada without them.  One elder asked if the Embassy 
could provide some religious texts in Hebrew in time for the 
Passover holiday, which he hoped Embassy officers could 
celebrate with the families. 
 
Comment 
- - - - 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Post was able to confirm through this visit 
that the Jewish families are provided housing and protection 
by the ROYG.  The MFA was cooperative in setting up the 
meeting, although Interior Ministry officials were present 
during most of our discussions.  In keeping with Yemeni 
tradition, however, a woman poloff was able to meet and talk 
separately with the Jewish women, who echoed their male 
relatives' praise for Saleh's protection and affirmation of 
their desire to stay in Yemen. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Post will work with the NEA/ARP Yemen/Oman deskoff to 
find a U.S. organization that may be able to send 45 
religious texts that the community elders requested of poloff 
in time for Passover. 
KRAJESKI