Bnei Brak Man Visits Houthi Stronghold in Yemen, Returns to Tell the Story

A charedi man from Bnei Brak recently made a dangerous trip into Houthi-controlled Yemen, spending a short time there before returning safely to describe his experiences from one of the most hostile places for Israelis.

The man, identified only as Yaakov and holding foreign citizenship, spoke anonymously after completing the journey. He was interviewed in recent days by Kan 11 Arab affairs correspondent Roy Kais, who sought to understand how he managed to reach the Houthi stronghold.

Travel to Yemen—and especially to its capital, Sanaa, a center of Houthi control—is widely considered extremely dangerous for Israelis and Jews. Nevertheless, Yaakov managed to enter the country for a limited period and return without being identified.

Asked what motivated him to travel there, Yaakov said, “It’s crazy. Bnei Brak is a place unto itself, a completely different culture. I want to get to know many other cultures. I’ve visited quite a few places before Yemen. There’s a kind of glass ceiling even among travelers who go to unconventional places, like Lebanon and Syria.”

According to the report, Yaakov began his journey by flying to Jeddah in western Saudi Arabia. From there, he continued to Seiyun in southern Yemen, an area associated with opponents of the Houthis. He then made the long and dangerous drive to Sanaa, one of the most hostile locations for Israelis and Jews.

When asked whether he was afraid of being exposed, Yaakov said, “It’s a terrifying fear. It’s stressful. To the point that you cut tags out of your clothes beforehand, bring receipts from the United States that you collect to prove where you live, carry a different phone, and leave your own phone in Dubai.”

Yaakov said he stayed in Sanaa only briefly, explaining, “The local guy told me, if you stay here overnight, it will be your last night.”

He also described visiting a military academy in the city, saying, “It’s a jihad culture. I was in their school (in Sanaa), and one of the books with the most copies was Hitler’s Mein Kampf.” He added that he presented himself as an American journalist and promised to portray them as freedom fighters.

Asked what surprised him most during the trip, Yaakov said he was struck by how eager people were for some sort of agreement with the United States, while expressing deep hostility toward Israel. One of the most tense moments, he said, was secretly bringing and putting on tefillin in the Yemeni capital.

In addition to visiting Houthi-controlled areas, Yaakov also traveled to the southern city of Taiz, where clashes continue between the Houthis and their opponents, and even briefly attended a local wedding.

Despite completing the journey safely, Yaakov does not recommend that others follow his path. Still, it appears he may already be thinking about his next high-risk destination in the Middle East.

{Matzav.com}