The neglected Story of the Jews from Arab Countires and Modern anti-Semitism

Suggested Article
To the Editor of The
NEW YORK TIMES GLOBE AND MAIL, Montreal Gazette, Toronto Star

The Neglected Story of the Jews from Arab Countries and Modern anti-Semitism

By Dr. Ada Aharoni

One of the major causes of the current wave of modern anti-Semitism in Europe and other places has been recognized to be mainly due to the Palestinian propaganda. This sweeping brainwashing propaganda has succeeded to produce an anti-Jewish climate. One of the ways to combat this basic source of lies, the truth must be revealed about the banishment of the Jews from Arab countries. The world has mainly heard about the injustice caused to the Palestinian refugees and almost nothing about the plight of the Jews from Arab countries, mainly from Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. Let us compare what happened to both communities.
Whereas the Palestinians refugees numbered 650,000 in 1948, the Jewish refugees from Arab countries were - 850,000 (UNRWA Statistics). The Jewish property that was sequestered by the Arab Governments, when the Jews were forced to leave the Arab countries, both private and communal, was much vaster than that which the Palestinians left behind in Israel (documented by the International Court at The Hague).
There was practically an "ethnic cleansing" of Jews in Arab countries. Just very few Jews are left there today. Egyptian Jewry, for instance, numbered 100,000 in 1948, but only 28 Jews live there today, in the whole of Egypt, and only 22 Iraqi Jews remain in the whole of Iraq, out of 160.000 Jews in Iraq in 1948, and in Syria and Lebanon there are no Jews left there anymore.
On the other hand, there was no "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in Israel, and there are a million Arab/Palestinian citizens living in Israel today, and they constitute 20% of Israel's citizens.
It is important to explain these crucial historical facts as widely as possible, as they contradict the evil and thwarted image of the prejudiced anti-Israel propaganda. In addition to the possible turning of public biased opinion in Europe and other places, from bias to fairness, justice and veracity, telling the story of the banishment and uprooting of the Jews from Arab countries, has additional possible advantages.
Realizing that they were not the only ones who have suffered, and that the Jews from Arab countries have suffered just as much as the Palestinians when they were thrown out from the lands of their birth with only their shirts on their backs, and were made so miserably destitute precisely at the hands of the Arabs - may cause Palestinians to become more conciliatory and less intransigent regarding peace with Israel.
Secondly, seeing that their history, narrative, and cultural heritage is taken into account, as a crucial and integral part of the Arab - Israeli Conflict, may make the Jews from Arab countries and their descendants, who are today almost half of Israel, more inclined to make concessions for the sake of peace. The neglect of their story and narrative, makes some Jews from Arab countries intransigent toward a reconciliation that does not include their own history. Yet, these uprooted Jews could become major contributors to reconciliation because they understand Middle Eastern culture and mentality, the Arabic language, and rituals of reconciliation.
The “Nakba” (Catastrophe) of Jews from Arab Countries, the cruel displacement of 850,000 Jews who were born and grew up in their ancient communities in Arab Lands, and the hardships and misery accompanying their forced migration and emigration to Israel or other western countries, and the loss of all their assets and property - constitute an aspect of the Arab – Israeli Conflict which should be thoroughly researched by serious academics. As almost half of the Jewish citizens of Israel (together with their descendants), are from Arab countries, any peace effort must acknowledge this crucial facet of the history of the conflict. To be able to reach a peaceful solution, the forced migration of Jews from Arab countries must be acknowledged as part of the tragedies incurred during this long and painful conflict. It would also constitute a strong barrage to the dangerous neo anti-Semitic "Tsunami" flooding us today.
Biographical Note

Dr. Ada Aharoni is a Middle East researcher and a cultural sociologist, she conducted a research on “The Forgotten Jews from Arab Countries,” at the Neaman Institute at the Technion: Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Funded by the Boren Foundation). She has published 24 books to date, and more than 120 articles and founded: The International Forum for the culture and Literature of Peace, IFLAC PAVE PEACE. She was born and raised in Egypt.
For more information - please visit the following websites: www.iflac/jac http://www.wcje.net/ www.iflac.com/ada