The Abrahamic Agreements also brought to the fore our joy the story of the Jews of the Arab countries.
In this sense, alongside the regional developments from the agreements, it seems that one of them, consciously, lies precisely in the past and may strengthen the foundations for correcting injustice regarding the historical narrative of Arab and Iranian Jews.
This refers, of course, to the history - which existed for thousands of years and disappeared as a non-existent - of the one million Jews who lived before the establishment of the state in Arab countries and Iran.
Some of them lived in the Middle East more than 2,500 years ago - that is, more than a thousand years before the founding of Islam.
In practice, the lives of glorious Jewish communities were also pushed out of the national consciousness, and while the Palestinian refugee claim is known to many - few are aware, at the public level, of the existence of the Jewish refugee problem, who were forced to leave their homelands.
The value of the assets left behind by the Jews in Iran and the Arab countries, Photo: Getty Images
"A huge injustice"
Less than a year before the establishment of the Abrahamic Agreements, we revealed in "Israel Today" the enormous amount of property left behind by Arab Jews in general, and Iranian Jews in particular, after they were expelled from their countries and immigrated to Israel with the establishment of the state.
According to initial and conservative estimates (before capitalization and adjustment to today's values), it is about $ 150 billion - an inconceivable amount that reflects, even with a slight touch, a particularly tragic chapter in the history of Arab Jewry, which until recently was not widely discussed in Israeli public discourse.
For the first time, the State of Israel currently has comprehensive data on the important issue whose historical, socio-political and international political significance is extremely significant.
We emphasize that even today, as in the past, resonating things at the international level is a moral obligation.
"A year ago, I set a goal to leverage the Avraham agreements also to bring about a correction of a terrible distortion at the UN - promoting the recognition of the 850,000 Jewish refugees deported from Arab countries and Iran," says Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Ardan.
In a special conversation with Israel Today, Arden declares that the UN has never done anything and did not recognize the immense injustice done to our brothers who were attacked, murdered and their property looted by Arab states that deported them.
"I recognized the signing of the agreement as an opportunity to raise the issue at the UN agenda and correct this situation, where the UN is working to help only 'Palestinian refugees' and does not even recognize the pain and suffering of Jewish refugees."
Arden notes that he promoted the issue during the past year.
"I raised it in many talks with ambassadors and government officials from various UN member states, and I worked to raise it to the agenda," he says, noting that beyond the property of hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees, and the fact that they are refugees, the current time should be taken to strengthen their forgotten place. In the historical narrative of the young state that has just emerged.
"He can not forget their story."
Arden speaks at the UN, Photo: IPA
29 November 2022
One of the highlight events organized by the Ambassador on this issue was a special protest demonstration in front of the UN building, held on November 29 in response to the "Solidarity with the Palestinian People" convention held that day at the UN General Assembly. Security and the Palestinian Ambassador - was to strengthen support for the "right of return" of the Palestinians.
As part of the protest, Arden sent signs decorated with signs to the streets of New York, and when they arrived at the UN headquarters building, they displayed pictures of Jewish refugees deported from Arab countries.
"The UN is amplifying the false and dangerous narrative of the Palestinians," he declared against the backdrop of the trucks,
November 29 - the day he recognized the right of the Jews to the state, and the day the Arabs and Palestinians rejected this decision and tried to destroy us - the UN dares to support only the Palestinians and promote the illusory 'demand for return' - which will erase the Jewish state.
What a shame! "
"We have become from 'friends on paper' to true friends."
At an official event of Israel and Morocco at the UN // Photo: Ido Siman Tov, Israel Delegation to the UN
Utilizes all platforms
"Since that exciting day that I was privileged to take part in, when the historic peace agreement with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates was signed on the lawns of the White House, more than a year has passed," said Israel's ambassador to the UN. Economic, cultural and strategic, and we became from 'friends on paper' to true friends.
"I have since held joint meetings and events with the countries of the Abrahamic Accords, including an event in honor of Women's Day with the Ambassador of Morocco to the United States, the lighting of a Hanukkah candle with the Ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations." Strong for such intimacy. "
But with regard to changing attitudes towards the Jews of Arab countries and Iran - "It is still not enough. Although I have held protest events and worked to raise awareness of the issue, I intend to fight further and this is just the beginning of the struggle," Arden emphasizes, promising to use all platforms. "To be opened in September and the various meetings that will take place during it - in order to raise the important issue on the agenda, and bring to a vote in the UN a significant decision to recognize the Jewish refugees deported from Arab countries and Iran."
In his remarks, Arden says that "it is not possible for the UN to continue its hypocrisy, through UNRWA, to budget in billions what they call 'Palestinian refugees', and to ignore the hundreds of thousands of Jews deported from lands and homes where they lived for many years, with heritage, tradition and property."
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