February 18, 2013 / 8 Adar 5773

Yemen’s Jewish community is under constant anti-semitic threat. Since Moshe Nahari’s murder, 113 Jews have immigrated to Israel from Yemen with the assistance of The Jewish Agency for Israel

Today 18.02, Yisrael (Yaish) and Terneja Nahari, the parents of the late Moshe Nahari made Aliyah (immigrated) to Israel with the assistance of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Moshe Nahari’s murder in Yemen in 2008 was motivated by anti-semitism. His parents, who are in their seventies, immigrated exactly six months after the arrival of Moshe Nahari’s widow, Louza Nahari, who arrived in August 2012. Israel and Terneja Nahari were reunited in Israel with their four children and twenty grandchildren, including the children of Moshe Nahari. They will initially be accommodated in a Jewish Agency Absorption center in southern Israel.

Moshe (Yaish) Nahari, of blessed memory, a father of nine children, was a Hebrew teacher and shochet (ritual slaughterer) in the city of Raydah in the Amran District of Yemen. In December 2008 Nahari, 35, was shot by a radical Muslim. After his murder Nahari was buried in Yemen and five of his children immigrated to Israel. In August last year, his widow and four more of his children also immigrated to Israel.

After the murder, Moshe Nahari’s parents remained in Raydah in order to campaign for his murderer to be brought to justice. The murderer was caught, but despite being found guilty by a court in Yemen, to this day has not been sentenced.

Nahari’s murder was followed by a wave of Aliyah to Israel and since 2009, to date 113 Jews have immigrated with the assistance of the Jewish Agency.

At the Jewish Agency Board of Governors which is taking place this week in Jerusalem, Arielle Di Porto, who is responsible for Aliyah from distressed Jewish communities in the Jewish Agency reported on the condition of Jewish communities in Arab countries. Di Porto reported that the Jewish community in Yemen numbers approximately 130 people, of whom 40 live in the capital city of Sana’a with the remainder in Raydah. The community is under threat of anti-semitic attack which intensified after the ousting of President Ali Abdallah Saleh. Two weeks ago a Jew in Raydah was attacked and severely beaten by radical Muslims in his own house. In May of last year, Aaron Zindani, one of leaders of the Jewish community was stabbed to death in the capital city Sana’a.

To receive additional visual materials from the arrival at Ben Gurion airport contact Hagit Halali, Jewish Agency Spokesperson, Hebrew language press at 0523467053.