The Satmar Hasidic Sect and the Exodus of Yemeni Jews

Key Findings:

This study explores the impact of the Satmar sect during the 1970s on the future of Yemeni Jews, and discussed the sect’s struggle against Israeli government initiatives to facilitate the immigration and absorption of Yemeni Jews in Israel. Despite this, Israel has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the immigrants and their families through humanitarian efforts.

The Satmar Hasidic sect views the establishment of the state of Israel as a deviation from its belief in the unity of God and Creation. Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the founder of Satmar, considered the establishment of a state based on Zionism contradicted the messianic idea and hindered the arrival of the Messiah. The sect therefore opposes Zionism and aims to prevent the immigration of Jews in distress to Israel.

The rise of the state of Israel had a profound impact on the relations between Jews and Muslims in Islamic countries. In some countries, the treatment of Jews worsened, and their right to emigrate to Israel was denied. The Yemeni government, however, considered the Satmar particularly beneficial for political objectives domestically and in foreign relations.

Two distinct periods are analysed: (1) Satmar’s activity in Yemen from the late 1970s-90s, and (2) its concurrent operations with state actors and NGOs since Yemen's reunification.

(1) The emigration of Jews from Yemen, which started with Operation Magic Carpet in 1949, persisted intermittently until 1962 when Yemen experienced a civil war. By the late 1970s, both the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency believed that all Jews had already left Yemen by the early 1960s. However, the Satmar Hasidim became aware of the remaining Jewish population in Yemen and exploited their nongovernmental status and anti-Zionist stance to establish operations. They formed alliances with PLO representatives in New York, who arranged visas for Satmar activists to work among the Yemeni Jews. The Yemeni government perceived Satmar's activities as non-threatening due to their shared anti-Israel sentiments, allowing them to continue their operations within Yemen.

Satmar's activity in Yemen primarily revolved around providing religious items, books, and funding for Talmud Torah schools. However, their efforts fell short in rehabilitating the Yemeni Jewish society and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, widows, children, and orphans. Rabbi Bachar, a key Satmar activist, attempted to convert Yemeni Jews into his followers by providing financial assistance to influential families. Despite Satmar's substantial resources, their focus remained on preventing emigration to Israel and spreading anti-Israel rhetoric, even as the Yemeni Jews faced worsening conditions due to attacks by expelled PLO forces.

(2) This period witnessed an intensified struggle between Satmar and Israel over the future of Yemeni Jewry, with Israel striving to protect the immigrants and their families from Satmar's influence. In the late 1980s, Satmar faced a new political situation in North Yemen related to Yemen's improved relations with the United States. The formation of the International Coalition for the Revival of the Jews of Yemen (ICROJOY) posed a direct threat to Satmar's efforts, as it aimed to improve the situation of Yemeni Jews and facilitate their migration to Israel. ICROJOY had connections with influential figures in the U.S. Congress and administration, which increased its influence in Yemen.

The unification of Yemen and its economic difficulties led to increased U.S. pressure on the Yemeni government to permit the emigration of Yemeni Jews. Satmar attempted to prevent Jewish emigration by appealing to U.S. and Arab officials and engaging in anti-Zionist propaganda among the Yemeni Jews. They led a focused campaign on Yemeni Jewish immigrants in Israel, pressuring families to leave for the United States and discouraging further immigration to Israel. Their attempts to implement their religious-ideological mission did not achieve significant success, particularly due to Israel's opposition.