Jewish Refugees From Arab and Muslim Countries Recognized on United Nations World Refugee Day
Iraqi Jews leaving Lod airport in Israel on their way to the Ma’abara transit camp, 1951. Photo: Israeli Government Press Office.
In honor of United Nations World Refugee Day on Sunday, Israel and Jewish organizations remembered the often forgotten story of the nearly one million Jews who were ethnically cleansed from Arab and Muslim countries over the past century. Most were absorbed by Israel.
The Jewish state issued a video chronicling the history of those refugees, their journey to Israel, and their absorption.
.@UN #WorldRefugeeDay is designed to celebrate and honour #refugees from around the world.
This year, we honour the #Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries & Iran, who fled persecution & ethnic cleansing. This is their important story:pic.twitter.com/NYmolGOiyo
— Israel in Ireland (@IsraelinIreland) June 20, 2021
The Canadian branch of the Jewish rights group B’nai Brith tweeted, “On World Refugee Day we remember the nearly 1 million Jewish refugees who fled Arab Countries and Iran to resettle in the only safe haven for them, Israel, and which made Israel the largest refugee camp in the Middle East.”
On #WorldRefugeeDay we remember the nearly 1 million Jewish refugees who fled Arab Countries and Iran to resettle in the only safe haven for them, Israel, and which made Israel the largest refugee camp in the Middle East.
— B'nai Brith Canada (@bnaibrithcanada) June 20, 2021
Hillel Neuer of the NGO UN Watch asked a pointed question about the UN’s double standard on Palestinian refugees, saying, “On World Refugee Day, we ask: How come the 850,000 Jewish refugees from the Arab world after 1948 were all successfully resettled in Israel and other countries—with 0 refugees left today—yet UNRWA has multiplied the number of Palestinian refugees from 700,000 to 5 million?”
On #WorldRefugeeDay, we ask: How come the 850,000 Jewish refugees from the Arab world after 1948 were all successfully resettled in Israel and other countries—with 0 refugees left today—yet @UNRWA has multiplied the number of Palestinian refugees from 700,000 to 5 million? pic.twitter.com/651bwvhjoQ
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 20, 2021
The Israel advocacy group Stand With Us issued its own video on the persecution of Jews in Lebanon.
WATCH: Jewish persecution in Lebanon.
As we mark #WorldRefugeeDay, we remember the Jewish refugees from Arab countries and share the stories of the ancient Jewish communities who were virtually wiped out by racism, extremism and violence in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/lPrZeH5CBh
— StandWithUs (@StandWithUs) June 20, 2021