We did not stop to ask what were the reasons and processes that led to Jewish communities in the Arab countries ceasing to exist in such a short time • Opinion

• Ancient manuscripts from Yemen // Photo: Oren Ben Hakun

For 2,000 years, Jewish communities existed in Arab countries, and their lives there were accompanied by ups and downs. In the midst of all this, the communities were able to maintain a diverse cultural life and even enrich the Jewish world with creativity and spiritual leadership that shaped the entire Jewish world. And here are these communities, which put almost a million people in the mid-20th century, disappeared and ceased to exist in Arab countries in about 25 years. However, we did not stop, if only once, and asked how it happened that these communities ceased to exist in such a short time.

What were the reasons and processes for this dramatic change? True, the love of Eretz Yisrael and the longing to get there were firmly rooted in these lands, and Jews did not stop immigrating to Eretz Yisrael throughout the ages. But that is not the reason, and certainly not enough.

The real factor, in fact, lies in the UN resolution on November 29, 1947, on the State of Israel's division and establishment plan. Already on the same day, Egyptian representative Hasanin Heichel declared that if the decision to establish the State of Israel was made - Jewish communities in Arab countries would pay the price for pogroms and persecution.

His prophecy came true, the Arab League incited the regimes in the Arab countries to restrict the steps of the Jewish community, to violate the rights of the Jews, their status and property, and even to encourage in one way or another physical harm. Then, as if the signal, disturbances and vulnerability of the Jews spread to all Arab countries. Following this, from 1947 to 1973, thousands of Jews were murdered and injured in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and more.

The question arises: How did we not know about it? Why didn't we learn about it in the education system? This is the story of about half the people of Israel. Just over half a million Palestinian residents have fled Israel, and for 70 years we hear about their claims every day. But on the other hand, we heard almost nothing about the million Jews who left the Arab countries and left much property after being forced to leave everything, for fear of their lives.

Only recently, following the resurgence of Jewish organizations from Arab states, activity in the US Congress and parliamentary activity in the Knesset, have we witnessed the beginning of preparations and gathering up-to-date data on Jewish property left in the Arab countries. As for the story of the elimination of the communities, we recently began to see an amendment following the legislation to mark the day of the departure and deportation of Jews from Arab countries, which I assisted in its enactment together with MK Nissim Ze'ev. , Including a major UN event. And thanks to Sarah Gila Gamaliel, who turned the day into a state event that thousands of people take part in, and aware of the price paid by Arab Jews due to the establishment of the state.

it is not enough. The state must do more to embed these data into the public consciousness of the people of Israel and the world at large.

The writer is the director of the Dahan Center - the Center for the Heritage of Israeli Communities in the East and West