Tens of Yemenite Jews, who were rescued from Yemen to Cairo in 2021 by an Arab country without diplomatic relations with Israel, are now hoping to immigrate to Israel, according to Zman Yisrael
The refugees, part of a group of over 100 who were brought to Cairo, have come to the conclusion that they will not receive US citizenship as they had hoped and have turned their attention to Israel. [many of them identify with Satmar, which had encouraged them to apply for US citizenship.]
The group is headed by Yosef Levi, and most of them are from the Marhabi and Hamdi families. A few weeks ago a relative of the families from Israel visited them and some said they had despaired from reaching the US. Others are still hoping to reach the US, which demands that they waive their Yemenite passports if they wish to receive refugee status. There are other procedural difficulties with moving to the US.
Dr. Yigal Ben-Shalom, a former Welfare Ministry director-general and now the head of the association for developing the community, culture and heritage of Yemen, told Zman Yisrael that “Israel is the homeland which the Jews of Yemen prayed to and yearned for, and to here Jews from Yemen should come.” Ben Shalom is trying to promote their aliya via the Jewish Agency and the International Fellowship.





