KNOW THE LEDGE: 2010

Friday, January 8, 2010

WHY YEMEN IS THE NEXT FRONT FOR WAR

Yemen is about the size of California. The people are Islamic and Arab, but it wasn't always that way.

Prior to 1948 there was a very large Jewish population that lived and thrived in Yemen. There were Temples and Jewish neighborhoods next to Mosques. Children and adults of both faiths and traditions enjoyed eachothers companionship and commerce.

In 1948 the State of Israel was formed in the land occupied for millennia by the Palestinians. The welcome mat was out for any Jewish people who wanted to come to their new homeland and most of the Jews in Yemen left. It was a sad time for most Yemenis and the economy struggled to adjust with the sudden loss of such fine craftsmen. Even today, Yemen is famous for its filagree silver jewelry yet it is no longer manufactured because of the loss of the Jewish artisans.

In Yemen you can see countless examples of Jewish Stars, incorporated in the architecture of stone buildings and mausoleums. It was a testament to an era when there was no religious conflict. But that all changed when the new State of Israel forced out and killed the Palestinians, burnt and bulldozed their farms and orchards and continued to mistreat their Arab neighbors. Gradually, like most Arab nations in the world today, they grew intolerant and hostile
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