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Opinion | Arab Jews and Iran: A Time for Historical Correction Israel today

2021-11-27T21:59:17.175Z


When renewed Jews in the Persian Gulf proudly raise their heads, it's Israel's time to mention the problem of Jewish refugees from Arab countries.


A year and a bit to the founding of the Abrahamic Agreements, and the regenerating Jewish communities in the Gulf proudly raise their heads.

Although the dynamics of the expansion of agreements in the region are not completely clear at the moment, the resonance at the international level creates an atmosphere that Israel must take advantage of effectively.

The day of the departure and deportation of Jews from Arab countries and Iran, which took place this week, reminds us that there is a good opportunity for this.

Israel has another opportunity to make a consistent effort to miraculously elevate the history of the 900,000 or so Jews who lived before the establishment of the state in Arab countries and Iran, a history that has existed for thousands of years and has disappeared. In one, they have become refugees, and in the most basic sense - people who have to fight for recognition as former refugees in the Middle East. The life of the glorious Jewish communities faded and repressed in the national consciousness that arose and erected its head, in a process that intensified in the vicinity of the establishment of the state - the Arab response to the partition decision was the most tangible expression of all - and continued for the next three decades. In practice, generations of unique culture and spiritual leadership have been displaced as a result of the experience of deportation they experienced, or in the shadow of restrictive laws and growing harassment of their Jewish identity.

For the sake of historical illustration, some of these communities lived in the Middle East more than two thousand years ago. But the public discourse lacks reference to the Jewish refugees who were forced to leave their countries, and thus the story of those who largely shaped the face of Israel during its founding days - has not been known for many years.


Two years ago, we published in "Israel Today" the estimate of the enormous amount of property left behind by the Jews of Arab countries and Iran. A conservative estimate - without capitalization - it is at least about $ 150 billion, which indicates something of a painful chapter in history that has been forgotten from the heart, and does not receive proper attention. If we only want and do not bury our heads in the sand, the redress of injustice will begin both at the intra-Israeli educational level - studying the experiences of our brothers in all educational settings - and in a broad vision in the political-strategic context.   

Promoting the recognition of this chapter in the history of our people on an international level is a moral obligation, and has a heavy weight in the political arena.

The rights of the Jews of Arab countries and Iran must come up in any future negotiations.

The basic logic is that in order for any political process to be reliable and long-term, it must be ensured that all refugees in the Middle East are treated equally under international law.

But while the issue of refugees in the Middle East is usually addressed, according to the Palestinian refugees, in the corresponding period (1967-1948) some 900,000 Jews left the Arab countries and Iran, about two-thirds of whom came to Israel.

Why do we hear about the demands of the first, and not of the Jewish refugees?

Can history be interpreted without acknowledging the displaced Jewish communities?

Recognition of Jewish refugees from Arab countries and Iran is the basis for this.

Recognition of their forgotten place in the historical narrative of the established young state, alongside a struggle for their rights, and international recognition of the human story that the entire world must recognize - will allow us to testify that this date refers not only to true past recognition but also future we want to produce.

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-11-27

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