When the Arab Jews Fled

[alecgraham]

A recent exchange in another thread reminded me of an October wsj article which gives the title of this thread. For example, Hezam, you wrote:

They have places to go back to, for example the Yemeni Jews ( 400.000 ) they left their houses,farms,markets etc and moved to Palestine.. Same with Moroccan,Iraqi,Russian jews and other jews who came to palestine...They have their own land to go back to.
There were some jews in my village in Yemen and they left everything saying " We are going to Israel to fight !"..

But there is some interesting background here that I am eager to point out. I'm going out soon, lest anyone think this is a hit-and-run post. On the contrary, I want to fill in details, but without breaking copyright violations. (I wish I could just paste the whole article. For those who have access, the link is When the Arab Jews Fled - WSJ.com
A few excerpts:

The Abadie family's story is moving from the recesses of history to a newly prominent place in the debate over the future of the Middle East. Arab leaders have insisted for decades that Palestinian refugees who fled their homes following Israel's creation should be allowed to return to their former homes.
Now Israeli officials are turning the tables, saying the hardships faced by several hundred thousand exiled Arab Jews, many forced from their homes, deserve as much attention as the plight of displaced Palestinians.

Before the establishment of Israel in 1948, an estimated 850,000 Jews lived in the Arab world. In countries across the Middle East, there were flourishing Jewish communities with their own synagogues, schools and communal institutions.
Life changed dramatically by 1948 as Arab governments declared war on the newly created Jewish stateﾂ―and on the Jews within their own borders. At the U.N., an Egyptian delegate warned that the plan to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Palestinians, "might endanger a million Jews living in the Muslim countries."

Yemen was home to more than 55,000 Jews; in Aden, scores were killed in a vicious pogrom in 1947. An airlift dubbed "Operation Magic Carpet" relocated most Yemenite Jews to Israel.

Within 25 years, the Arab world lost nearly all its Jewish population.

Here's a quote that seems especially timely:

Rabbi Gabbai was only 18 when he was thrown in jail, along with three older brothers. He still remembers the cries of his fellow prisonersﾂ―Muslim Brotherhood members who were being torturedﾂ―echoing through the jail.

I'll have to take time to paraphrase anything else.

 

[Abdur Rahman]

Arab world lost its Jewish population because Arab Jews go to Palestine to make the Jewish country
and most of Jews leaders say that their dream is to make the greatest Israel form Nile to Euphrates
they plan to take Egypt ,Syria,Jordan and Iraq in the future

 

[nahadef]

Arab world lost its Jewish population because Arab Jews go to Palestine to make the Jewish country
and most of Jews leaders say that their dream is to make the greatest Israel form Nile to Euphrates
they plan to take Egypt ,Syria,Jordan and Iraq in the future

That's just plain crazy talk. I think there are some birthers in America you would get along with just fine.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

That's just plain crazy talk. I think there are some birthers in America you would get along with just fine.

As far as being an actual plan of the Israeli government, yes. But I am sure that there are some Zionists out there with just such a dream, and their dream has been attributed to all Israel by "certain people". Both sides of the conflict pull this crap, with the pro-Israelis acting like all Palestinians are Hamas, or Hamas controls all Palestinians, despite the PLO and many other militant groups, and the Pro-Palestinians acting like all Israelis are conservative rightist Jewish Nazi types, despite all the leftist Israelis who despise the apartheid policies of Israel.

 

[Hezam]

Just want to correct some info, Yemeni Jewish are not only 55.000 they are half million.
Let me back in time to the Caliphate period, In All Caliphate Lands Jewish were living their "golden ages" same as Muslims and...
When the Pope declared the war " Crusades " on the east all people Muslims,Christians,Jewish etc stood up and fought together, This never happened in any time before Islam...And because of that the European war leaders made a plan "Divide and conquer" and the Zionism is one part of this plan.
If you read about the Islamic world between 700-1500 you will find the answers.
Jewish were people of business, Like in Medina, Yemen , Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco , Andalus, Istanbul etc.
Especially when the Muslim government was Strong.

---------- Post added at 08:03 ---------- Previous post was at 07:57 ----------

Just want to correct some info, Yemeni Jewish are not only 55.000 they are half million.
Let me back in time to the Caliphate period, In All Caliphate Lands Jewish were living their "golden ages" same as Muslims and...
When the Pope declared the war " Crusades " on the east all people Muslims,Christians,Jewish etc stood up and fought together, This never happened in any time before Islam...And because of that the European war leaders made a plan "Divide and conquer" and the Zionism is one part of this plan.
If you read about the Islamic world between 700-1500 you will find the answers.
Jewish were people of business, Like in Medina, Yemen , Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco , Andalus, Istanbul etc.
Especially when the Muslim government was Strong.

But Zionists came and forced Jewish to Leave their lands and moved them to Palestine.
And as any nation You can't let people create a nation inside your nation !! Arab didn't fight Jewish before they declared Israel as a nation for Jewish, Arab had no problem with Jewish moving to another land inside the Arab-Muslims Land but to create a nation that is going to threat the national security in the future !

That's just plain crazy talk. I think there are some birthers in America you would get along with just fine.

Not anymore, Israel has more than 400 Nuclear war head...

 

[alecgraham]

Guys, I'm a bit disappointed. You can find Israelis, non-Israeli Jews around the world, and all kinds of non-Jewish westerners who plainly and straightforwardly admit Israel's flaws, laying their abuses of Palestinians on the table. I am among them.
There are people on this fine forum from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, etc. Who among you is brave enough to look at the text in the original post above and say, "You're right. I am upset with Israel's policies in the middle east, and I am proud of the way Arabs treated Jews during the height of Arab civilization, but I am ashamed that Arabs murdered so many Jews living in their own country when the state of Israel was formed. There was no justification for killing their fellow countrymen in Yemen, Libya, Syria, Egypt, etc in the 40s, 50s and 60s, as they were innocent people, their only "crime" being genetically related to those who moved to Israel. And after all, Jews and Arabs are also closely related."


Is anyone brave enough to say this?

 

[nahadef]

Not anymore, Israel has more than 400 Nuclear war head...

So? Iran has vowed to wipe them off the map. What does their defensive weapons have to do with the ridiculousness that other guy wrote? Nothing.

Do you think Israel wants to take over the whole of the Arab world? Prove it. They've done nothing of the sorts, even though they are the best equipped and have the backing of the most powerful governments in the world.

You do your country a disservice by supporting such nonsensical ideas, and look ridiculous doing so. There are many, many legitimate gripes against Israel, and making stuff up just shuffles the real problems to the background. Good luck in spreading your nonsense.

 

[Hezam]

, but I am ashamed that Arabs murdered so many Jews living in their own country when the state of Israel was formed. There was no justification for killing their fellow countrymen in Yemen, Libya, Syria, Egypt, etc in the 40s, 50s and 60s, as they were innocent people, their only "crime" being genetically related to those who moved to Israel. And after all, Jews and Arabs are also closely related."

I never heard of any of this !
Can you please provide a source ?
As in my home Yemen, My Grandfather and my grandmother told me good things about Yemeni Jewish, My Grandfather said they are loyal to their nation, They fought with all Yemeni people against the old dictator Imam rule.
My Grandmother said " They were living in peace like any other Yemeni people "

The only problem is with Jewish who occupied Palestine and Jerusalem, Those who kill Palestinians and steal their lands,houses.

---------- Post added at 07:38 ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 ----------

So? Iran has vowed to wipe them off the map. What does their defensive weapons have to do with the ridiculousness that other guy wrote? Nothing.

Do you think Israel wants to take over the whole of the Arab world? Prove it. They've done nothing of the sorts, even though they are the best equipped and have the backing of the most powerful governments in the world.

You do your country a disservice by supporting such nonsensical ideas, and look ridiculous doing so. There are many, many legitimate gripes against Israel, and making stuff up just shuffles the real problems to the background. Good luck in spreading your nonsense.

I did not say the whole Arab world !!!
Look at this Map which is the Zionist dream of " Greater Israel "

DO NOT forget that the nation " Israel " is an Arab Land occupied by Zionists Jewish.

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

Hezam said:

"If you read about the Islamic world between 700-1500 you will find the answers.
Jewish were people of business, Like in Medina, Yemen , Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco , Andalus, Istanbul etc.
Especially when the Muslim government was Strong.

But Zionists came and forced Jewish to Leave their lands and moved them to Palestine."

So what happened in the years 1500 - 1948?

 

[Mark of Zorro]

I never heard of any of this !
Can you please provide a source ?

This is just a start. I will leave it to alecgraham to truly defend his post. I gave him a thumbs up for the sentiments, although the statement of "murdered so many jews" might be overstating the case a bit. Its also hard to tell which Jews left to support Israel and which were just plain forced out, but entire disappeared Jewish communities just cannot be the sole product of willing immigration.
Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

With the November 1947 declaration of United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, severe anti-Jewish pogroms with massive casualties erupted across the Arab World. Arab pogroms against Jews in Yemen and Syria were particularly violent.[citation needed] The violence prompted a severe increase in Jewish exodus, with the Aleppo Jewish community deteriorating into decline and soon after the pogrom half the city's Jewish population had left.[20] In 1948, the violence had spread to Egypt, Morocco and Iraq as well, practically covering all Arab countries.[citation needed] At the same time, independent Arab countries began to encourage Jewish emigration to Israel.[21][22][23]

---------- Post added at 19:55 ---------- Previous post was at 19:51 ----------

So? Iran has vowed to wipe them off the map.

Let us not confuse the Ayatollah Khomeini with the entire country of Iran for starters. Next, he was not calling for a violent destruction. He was speaking of his desire for a new government and country, not of turning Israel into a wasteland.

Muslim countries have hosted Jewish populations in that past and done so with tolerance. No reason it cannot happen again, not that I am saying that I support ideas to replace Israel with a Muslim ruled country.

 

[alecgraham]

Hezam, your grandparents sound like very good people, and though I have no source for my belief, I do believe that there must be countless decent Arabs like them.

You wrote:

I never heard of any of this !
Can you please provide a source ?

and Zorro wrote:

This is just a start. I will leave it to alecgraham to truly defend his post. I gave him a thumbs up for the sentiments, although the statement of "murdered so many jews" might be overstating the case a bit.

My source is the article linked in the original post. Admittedly, the publication is somewhat conservative and editorials are more likely to be pro-Israel. That being said, it is not always the case, and it is not a paper known for fabricating history. What are their own sources? And their sources' sources? Ultimately, you believe what you read or you don't.

Zorro, I don't know what number would qualify as "so many" in your book. You did write:

Its also hard to tell which Jews left to support Israel and which were just plain forced out, but entire disappeared Jewish communities just cannot be the sole product of willing immigration.

From the article, I would add that they didn't just go to Israel:

Jews began fleeing—to Israel, of course, but also to France, England, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Zorro, I don't know what number would qualify as "so many" in your book.

Its a good question. But at least I want to see a clear number. I looked around, but could not find anything.

In no way do I support the pogroms in any case. But pogroms are official, and I have serious doubts any of them spelled out or suggested killing Jews. When I hear a word like "scores" it makes me think the killings were somewhat random and done by mobs and in fact, no one can really be sure exactly why they were killed (I read about some Jewish sisters raped, killed and mutilated found in a cave. Was it anti-semitism or an opportunistic sex crime, a personal grudge, a serial killer or what? I hesitate to jump at the anti-semitism card so fast.).

And so, its really hard to lay that at the foot of someone like Hezam or so many other Arabs and Muslims that had nothing to do with it. Its even worse than laying the lynchings of blacks in the 1960s at my American feet. Segregation might have been official policy in America, but lynching blacks was not.

 

[alecgraham]

I'm not blaming Hezam or anyone here for anything. I just wanted to see if anyone of Arab heritage would admit that these things happened the way -- to use your reference -- Americans admit that the lynchings of blacks occurred in our past. So far, there are no takers.

I know nothing about the single sisters story you mentioned, but the article makes it pretty clear that all these things started when Israel was voted into existence and continued for decades. So, you can't chalk it *all* up to opportunism or personal grudges. I mean, did you read the article? Why does the article exist in the first place?

Well, like I said before, either you believe what you read or you don't. Everyone forms their own worldview. If you, Mark of Zorro, can downplay the entire collection of events mentioned in the article, I can still count on the millions upon millions who acknowledge it as actual fact.

 

[Hezam]

Hezam said:
"If you read about the Islamic world between 700-1500 you will find the answers.
Jewish were people of business, Like in Medina, Yemen , Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco , Andalus, Istanbul etc.
Especially when the Muslim government was Strong.
But Zionists came and forced Jewish to Leave their lands and moved them to Palestine."
So what happened in the years 1500 - 1948?

At the end of 1600 the Muslim government was getting weaker an weaker...They Ottoman Sultan [ Caliph ] Couldn't protect Muslims & Jewish in Andalus, The fall of Andalus [Spain and Portugal atm ] was one of the biggest dramatic events in the Human history...thousands of people [ Muslims & Jewish ] were killed in a very very barbaric ways, 2 millions of Andalusian people ran to Africa.
See :
Spanish Inquisition

Click here to see pictures

ending with the holocaust, When Muslims hosted Jewish all the time, And now this is what Muslims got in return, A Jewish nation with over 400 Nuclear Warheads.

And seeing people claiming that Muslims killed and tortured Jewish is very unfair !

---------- Post added at 07:17 ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 ----------

alecgraham, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said "Whoever kill a mu'ahad (an infidel whose country has a peace treaty with Islamic country-, translator) will not smell the fragrant of Paradise, whereas that fragrant indeed could be smelled from 40 years distance of journey." (Narrated by Al Bukhari)

 

[Abdur Rahman]

and this is the source
Faith on the Move: The Religious Affiliation of International Migrants - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

 

[alecgraham]

That's a cool chart, Abdur Rahman. Thanks for posting that! There are more people of the Jewish faith moving from the middle east and north Africa (24 percent) than I thought.

Keep in mind, though, that the chart is talking about religion and not race, and "origin" seems to be birthplace and not ancestry. Practitioners of Judaism who are listed as emigrating out of Russia still have mitochondria linking them to Hebrews of ancient Judea, as evidenced in the study mentioned in this thread. (See post #22).

 

[Hezam]

I have been investigating the Yemeni Jewish situation for 2 years...I found some very important information and im working on a report about Yemeni Jewish, The weird thing is that i searched on the internet for a long time trying to find an Arabic jewish website but i couldn't fine even one !!!

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Practitioners of Judaism who are listed as emigrating out of Russia still have mitochondria linking them to Hebrews of ancient Judea, as evidenced in the study mentioned in this thread. (See post #22).

That is about as relevant as my DNA linking me to Scotland. Imagine me going there and trying to get citizenship based on that. And my lineage is about 200 years old, not 2000. Same with England, Holland and Ireland. No one in any of those countries want to hear about this American's link to their country.