Israel has corrected an historical injustice, officially recognizing for the first time the plight of almost one million Jews forced to flee their homes in Arab territories. 

Israel has commemorated for the first time the horrific mass expulsion of Jews from Arab lands across the Middle East following the establishment of the State of Israel.

The occasion was marked following a Knesset law adopted earlier this year stipulating that November 30th is an annual and national day of commemoration for the 850,000 Jewish refugees who were displaced from Arab countries and Iran in the 20th century.

The reason for the bill is explained as follows:

“During the long exile, the Jews living in Arab lands experienced many pogroms. The Arab world responded severely to the strengthening of the National Jewish Movement and Zionism on the eve of the establishment of the state of Israel. This opposition was expressed in cruel attacks on Jews and an increase in disturbances against them. Official orders and laws legislated by regimes in Arab lands prevented Jews from having human rights or the rights of citizens, their property was confiscated as was their citizenship and they were prevented from having jobs. Many times, the Jews were victims of murder, false arrests, imprisonment, torture and deportation. Between the years 1947-1972, about 856 thousand Jews from Arab lands were uprooted without anything and were made refugees.”

Israel has decided that after many years of silence on the subject the time has come to correct an ongoing historical injustice that has affected a large segment of Israel’s population.

A Millennia Long History

Jews had lived in the Arab lands for thousands of years, and many Jewish communities preceded the advent of Islam. Before 1948, there were close to one million Jews living in the Arab world, while today only a few thousand still remain. During the 20th century, in the wake of the rise of Arab nationalism and especially after the return of the Jews to their homeland, Arab regimes began a campaign of massive human rights violations of their Jewish citizens. Arab states expropriated property of native Jews, and denaturalized, expelled, arrested, tortured and murdered many of them.

Estimates vary, but the sum of the value of stolen property is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The story of the forced departure of the Jews from Arab lands differs in detail from country to country, and from one family to another, but the substance of the stories is similar.

The Plight of the Jews of Iraq

Iraq’s Jewish community existed for more than 2,500 years and was the cultural center of Judaism for many centuries. The primary component of the Jewish people’s oral law, the Babylonian Talmud, was written and compiled there. This ancient community came under attack from the Iraqi government after the establishment of Israel, and was expelled, after being physically attacked and suffering many fatalities, in addition to asset confiscation.

This film tells the story of Aharon Abudi’s upbringing in Iraq, and the story of his family, through the Farhud pogrom and expulsion, their absorption in Israel and a life rebuilt from the ruins:

 

You Can Help Israel and Jerusalem

Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem, its capital and home to all Jewish refugees from Arab lands, has come under increased attack in past weeks. Supporters need to stand together and show the world that Jerusalem is not a bargaining chip in border negotiations or a convenient yet meaningless rallying point for terrorists. Jerusalem is a Holy City that provides a beacon of light to all nations under the sovereignty of Israel.

Help us to ensure that Jerusalem stays unified. Click HERE to sign The Jerusalem Declaration.

Author: United with Israel Staff