Figure 1.-- |
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Less well known is that a similar number of Jews were expelled from Muslim countries where their ancestors had lived for centuries, in some cases predating Islam. Jewish commiunities were founded in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and India. This process began with the Babalonian Captivity (6th century BC), but most significantly with the Roman supression of the Jewish revolt (1st century AD). Thus Jewish communities in Arab countries were founded 400- 1,000 years before Islam. There were even Jewish communities in Saudia Arabia before Islam. (They are mentioned in the Koran.)
These Jewish communities had various experiences after the Islamic conquests. Arabs contend that Jews and Arabs coexisted in harmony before Israel was established. It is true that during the Medieval er that Islam was more tolerant of Jews than Christians. It is also true that there were incidence of extreme intolerance in the Islamic world. And these incidents continued into the modern era. Arabs massacred Jews in Morocco (1912), Algeria (1933), Iraq (1941), and Libya (1945), all these incidents of course pre-dated the establishment of Israel. The Mizrahim, now integrated into Israel, never left the Middle East, can hardly be called Western interlopers. They are as much a part of the Middle East as the Arabs. The Oriental Jews or Mizrahim were expelled from Arab and other countries such as Iran. Jews were expelled by countries like Iraq, Egypt and Algeria. Other Arab countries (such as Morocco and Tunisia) did not formally expel Jews, but persued policies of marginalisation and intimidation. Historians report that there were about 870,000 Mizrahi refugees. The majority or about 600,000 sought refuge in Israel, where they now constiture about half of the Isreali Jewish population. The Oriental Jews are important to be recognized. One of the Arab charges against Israel is that the Jews are western colonial interlopers--essentially a colonial phenomenon. The Arabs complain that these Western Jews stole the land from the native Pestinian Arabs. They conveniently forget the Oriental Jews that form such a large part of the Isreali population.
Less well known is that a similar number of Jews were expelled from Muslim countries where their ancestors had lived for centuries, in some cases predating Islam. Jewish commiunities were founded in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and India. This process began with the Babalonian Captivity (6th century BC), but most significantly with the Roman supression of the Jewish revolt (1st century AD). Thus Jewish communities in Arab countries were founded 400- 1,000 years before Islam. There were even Jewish communities in Saudia Arabia before Islam. (They are mentioned in the Koran.)
These Jewish communities had various experiences after the Islamic conquests.
Arabs contend that Jews and Arabs coexisted in harmony before Israel was established. It is true that during the Medieval er that Islam was more tolerant of Jews than Christians. It is also true that there were incidence of extreme intolerance in the Islamic world. And these incidents continued into the modern era. Arabs massacred Jews in Morocco (1912), Algeria (1933), Iraq (1941), and Libya (1945), all these incidents of course pre-dated the establishment of Israel.
The Mizrahim, now integrated into Israel, never left the Middle East, can hardly be called Western interlopers. They are as much a part of the Middle East as the Arabs. The Oriental Jews are important to be recognized. One of the Arab charges against Israel is that the Jews are western colonial interlopers--essentially a colonial phenomenon. The Arabs complain that these Western Jews stole the land from the native Pestinian Arabs. They conveniently forget the Oriental Jews that form such a large part of the Isreali population.
Some Middle-Eastern Jew were attracted by the Zionist dream of a Jewish homeland. The Oriental Jews or Mizrahim were expelled from Arab and other countries such as Iran. Zionism was, however, a primarily European phenomenon. Most Oriental Jews were expelled by their native countries or were driven out by intimidation and threats as well as actual violence. The civil rights of Jews were protected by European law in some countries. An exception here of course was the World War II era when the Italians, Vichy French, and NAZIs dominated North Africa. After the war the new independent Arab countries created their own legal systems. This varied substantially, but many countries adopted systems without even minimal protections for indivisual rights, especially for non Muslims. Jews were expelled by countries like Iraq, Egypt and Algeria. Other Arab countries (such as Morocco and Tunisia) did not formally expel Jews, but persued policies of marginalisation and intimidation. The details varied from country to country, but the results were essentially the same.
Historians report that there were about 870,000 Mizrahi refugees. The majority or about 600,000 sought refuge in Israel, where they now constiture about half of the Isreali Jewish population.
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