Dateline Jerusalem — I attended a lecture this week by a Jewish man born in Cairo who could trace his ancestors from their flight from the Inquisition in Spain in 1492 to Gibraltar, to Malacca, to Tangiers to Alexandria, Egypt, in 1885. Jews have lived in Egypt since Biblical times, mostly settling in Cairo and Alexandria where the old synagogue had been built. It has served the Jewish community there since 1354. For years, the speaker’s family lived in Egypt under the benevolent rules of King Farouk I and King Farouk II, until the monarchy was deposed in 1956 by Nasser. In July 1956 Nasser closed the Suez Canal. By November, all Jews were told they had two weeks to leave Egypt, taking nothing but one suitcase and the clothes on their backs. No money, jewels or anything of value was allowed. They were forced to sign papers “donating” their homes, businesses and possessions to the Egyptian government.

From 75,000 to 20

Thousands of Jewish Egyptians fled in boats leaving Egypt, like their ancestors fleeing Spain with Christopher Columbus in the 15th century. Egyptian port officers separated women and children, stripping them bare, searching for cash and jewels, before allowing them to leave Egypt. Those with foreign passports were met in Europe and given only money for food by the Red Cross. Those without passports were imprisoned in Egypt. The speaker’s family eventually reached their destination in England, an army camp converted by the British to house these Jewish refugees. His family of five lived in one room. This is the memory of a 9-year-old Jewish Egyptian boy forced into exile. His story was not unique. I have friends whose families fled with nothing but their lives. In 1948, there were 75,000 Jews in Egypt. Today there are less than 20, a couple of men and some elderly widows.

Egypt was not the only country in the Middle East to create Jewish refugees. There were one million Jews living in Arab countries in 1945, Jews who had lived there for thousands of years — since Biblical times. Hundreds of thousands of Jews were forced to flee Arab countries, but the United Nations did not take up their cause, nor did any other international bodies. No one stood behind them demanding reparations, restitution for property or jewels or money. No one requested compensation for the pogroms, the riots, the persecutions.

Who Ever Heard?

Almost one millions Jews were ethnically cleansed from these Arab countries. Yet most people never have heard of the Jewish refugee plight, only that of “Palestinians,” whose numbers were less than half that of the Jews, the same “Palestinians” who were told by their leaders to flee Israel. Israel never forced them to leave. When Israel became a state in 1948, Israel invited all the Arabs living in Israel to remain and become part of the State of Israel. Many did remain, the Druse, Bedouins, and what are known today as Israeli Arabs. Those who fled Israel on the advice of their leaders became “Palestinian refugees,” a purposely created “refugee” status because their leaders and fellow Arab countries refused to absorb them or assimilate them into their own Arab communities.

In 1948 there were 140,000 Jews in Algeria. Today, not quite 50. They were persecuted, their property and belongings confiscated, and the Algerian government instigated anti-Jewish riots. There were 135,000 Jews in Iraq in 1948, some families since the Babylonian exile. Today there are six. The situation was so bad in Iraq that the Israeli government had to airlift 110,00 Jews to Israel in what was called Operation Ezra and Nehemiah and about 20,000 were smuggled through Iran from Iraq. Zionism was considered a capital crime, and being Jewish was considered being a Zionist. Libya had 35,000 Jews in 1948. Not one Jew remains in Libya today because of the deadly anti-Jewish pogroms.

Jews lived continuously in Morocco since 586 BCE. In 1948 there were only 265,000 of them. Today, fewer than 2,000. I have several Moroccan friends whose families fled. Syria’s population in 1948 went from 30,000 to 17 Jews today. All Jewish property was taken over by Syrian Muslims while the Syrian government stripped Jews of their jobs, froze bank accounts, confiscated property, took away their citizenship, prevented Jews from getting driver’s licenses or having telephones. The Syrian secret police restricted their movements and Jews trying to leave were imprisoned or faced the death penalty. Tunisia had 105,000 Jews in 1948, 1,500 today. Jews had been in Tunisia since 200 CE. But when Tunisia became an independent nation in 1956, the new government established anti-Jewish edicts and destroyed synagogues and cemeteries.

Today there is a large Yemenite Jewish population in Israel. Practically the entire Jewish population of 63,000 in Yemen in 1948 were brought to Israel via Operation Magic Carpet. There are supposedly fewer than 90 Jews remaining in Yemen today. Many of these Jewish refugees live in my city, are active in local politics, and hold municipality positions. Just the other night I went to a Yemenite restaurant in my neighborhood.

It is interesting to note how Jewish refugees from Arab countries have made something of their lives while the “Palestinian” refugees are still in a self-imposed refugee status 67 years later.

L’hitraot. Shachar