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Jewish refugee day; Libyan Jewish diaspora; a thread
In 1948, coinciding with the declaration of the State of Israel, anti-Semitism escalated and provoked a second pogrom, mainly due to the call made by Amin al-Husseini (rioters killed 12 Jews and destroyed 280 homes).
This time, however, the balance of power changed (although not enough) as the Jews fought back and prevented even more deaths and injury. 1949 to 1952, over thirty thousand Jews, or well over 90 percent of the 36,000 Jews then living in Libya, left for Israel.
Although the Jewish community gained a new sense of “safety to a certain degree” under the British rule, once Libya gained independence in Jan 52' and joined the Arab League, they were once again increasingly imperiled. Libya agreed to participate in the Arab boycott of Israel-
And publicly supported the Arab hostility towards Israel. The Jews were distrusted both as foreigners and as potential Israel sympathizers. This subjected them to various restrictions. The boycott began to be rigorously enforced only after 30 March 1957.
On the eve of independence in 1951, Prime Minister Mahmud Muntasser, partially reflecting the opinion of King Idris, remarked that the Jews would be protected but "he could see no future for them in Libya".
WW2 and the ongoing conflicts within the regional control have left Libya with an ongoing instability simultaneously to human and economic losses. More than half of the Jewish population in Libya was Rich, living in the big cities (mainly: Tripoli).
Jews owned assets, farms, gold, etc. The ongoing riots and hatred messages spread in masques brought the floor for corruption against Jews and disvalue of their human rights; on 63' Arabs were organised as a terrorist association, with the aim of hitting Jewish personalities .
Following the creation of the gang, other Jews received similar threats. For example, Beniamino Haddad, former treasurer of the community and owner of the Firestone tires agency, was assaulted by the same gang and lost an eye.
A few months before the 67 war, "a communiqué...to lawyers and legal offices made it particularly impossible for Jews to sell real property." Given the 67 drama that led to their forced evacuation, none of these statements & any other antisemitic developments surprised the Jews
The climate left no doubt that they could no longer
remain in Libya. The outbreak of the 6 days war provoked a media campaign against Jews in the Arab world and by 2/6/67 it spilled over into the mosques, which preached jihad against Jews.
remain in Libya. The outbreak of the 6 days war provoked a media campaign against Jews in the Arab world and by 2/6/67 it spilled over into the mosques, which preached jihad against Jews.
Libyan Jews' feelings are well portrayed in Victor Magiar's discussion of his parents' indecisiveness and their ambivalence toward Libya and the Libyan Arabs
Victor Magiar, E venne la notte Firenze: Editrice La Giuntina, 2003, pp. 235. [Italian]
Victor Magiar, E venne la notte Firenze: Editrice La Giuntina, 2003, pp. 235. [Italian]
History pursued us for generations and my parents resisted on this shore, not facing the sea and not pulling up the anchor, because they were afraid of the storm, but a storm came searching for us anew, passing over the seashore, penetrating deep in our home."
Post-Six-Days-War Antisemitic riots brought King Idris himself & international leaders to urge Jews living in Libya to emigrate.A nice way of forcing a displacement over a minority. If a government can’t control its own people’s actions, could it still be considered a government?
Eighteen Jews were killed (out of the 7,000 left in Libya by that time), and the death toll might well have been greater but for the Italian ambassador to Libya who instructed all Italian diplomatic missions to offer their assistance and protection to Libya’s Jews.
Subsequently, an Italian airborne operation relocated 6,000 Jews, mainly to Rome. These refugees were forced to leave behind their homes, businesses, and possessions.
When Muammar al-Gaddafi came to power in 1969, there were only 100 Jews left in Libya. But his government continued confiscating all Jewish property and prohibited Jews from emigrating (some Jews still managed to leave)
The last Jew living in Libya, Esmeralda Meghnagi, died in February 2002. This marked the end of one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities, which traced its origins to the 3rd century B.C.E.
During the 1990s, Libyan Israeli-Jews (those who remained alive), began to receive little of what they deserved as compensation for the days of terror. But at the level of international commemoration and publicity, the @UN has not yet made the pledge.
Is there any hope left in this sad story? time will tell.
