Figure 1.-- This is a Morrocan Jewish school in 1950. The right side of the Hebrew sign tells the name of the school --- Talmud Torah. The left looks like it is celebrating 'Independence Holiday' and a date below, obviously the number 5, and the month of Tishrei, but we cannot make out the word in between. Click on image for a fuller discussion. The general impression Arabs would like to give is that Isrealis are European interlopers in the Middle-East. This helps paint the narative of Israel as a colonial power. In fact, more thn half of Isrealis are of Middle Eastern origins, largely driven to Israel after independence by Arab nationalism and Islamic intolerance. Every Arab country had Jewish minorities and a histiry which vascilated between rolerance and vicious anti-Semetic rioting. Morocco hd one of the better records among the Arab countries, but was not without bloody incidents. The same process is now being repeated with Christians. At a time when Christian countries in Europe and North America are welcoming Muslims, Muslim extemists throughout the Middle East are attacking Christians. There are few Chistians left in Palestine controlled areas and Iraqi Christians have had to flee many areas. Rising levels of violence are notable in several other countries.

Less well known than the European immigrants 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 communities were founded in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and India. This process began with the Babylonian Captivity (6th century BC), but most significantly with the Roman suppression 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 Saudi 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 era 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 pursued policies of marginalization 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 constitute about half of the Israeli 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 Plistiniand Arabs. They conveniently forget the Oriental Jews that form such a large part of the Israeli population.

Jewish Communities

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 communities were founded in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and India. This process began with the Babylonian Captivity (6th century BC), but most significantly with the Roman suppression 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 Saudi Arabia before Islam. (They are mentioned in the Koran.) These Jewish communities had various experiences after the Islamic conquests.

Historic Experience

Arabs contend that Jews and Arabs coexisted in harmony before Israel was established. It is true that during the Medieval era that Islam was more tolerant of Jews than Christians. It is also true that there were incidence of extreme intolerance in the Islamic world. nd by the 19th century, the relative tolerance of the Muslim world had shifted. As Europeemancipated their Jews and America offered religious and political freedom, the Muslim world became increasingly hstile toward non-Muslims. There wee countless out breaks of vilonese in the 19th centuy. In the early 20th century, the Ottomon Turks caried at the genocide of the Christian Armenians. These incidents continued into the modern era, increasingly focused on the Jews. Arabs massacred Jews in Morocco (1912), Algeria (1933), Iraq (1941), and Libya (1945). The Palistinins led by the Grand Mufti for their part attempted with NAZI support to launch an Arab Kristalnacht in Palistine (1936-39). All of these incidents of course pre-dated the establishment of Israel.

The Mizrahim and the Middle East

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 Palistinian Arabs. They conveniently forget the Oriental (Middle Eastern-North African) Jews that form such a large part of the Israeli population. Most of these Oriental Jews predate the presence of Islam in the region and the arabs outside the Arabian Peninsula. And also important to note is how the Arab states/Iran and their clerics broughot about attacks on these people. And how they stole their property and deove them out of their coutries into exile. In Arab thinking, only if you are a an Arab and Muslim are you a legitimate refugeee.

Country Experiences

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 individual 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 pursued policies of marginalization and intimidation. The details varied from country to country, but the results were essentially the same.

Dimensions

Historians report that there were about 870,000 Mizrahim refugees. The majority or about 600,000 sought refuge in Israel, where they now constitute about half of the Israeli Jewish population.

Created: 6:39 PM 11/21/2006
Spell checked: 12:59 PM 11/19/2012
Last updated: 1:01 PM 11/19/2012