Series Description: In the context of the misinformation that has saturated public discourse in our country since October 7, ISGAP Francophone Space, in association with the Jonathas Institute in Brussels, has deemed it urgent to organize a series of seminars focused on the disappearance of Middle Eastern Jews. Let us not forget that Judaism, like Christianity, is a faith born in the heart of the Middle East. Before 1948, it was estimated that approximately 900,000 Jews lived in the Arab world, compared to only 6,500 today. This means that 99% of the Jews in the Arab world have been forced into exile.
Some statistics underscore the magnitude of this exodus. Jews were particularly numerous in countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, and Algeria. In Iraq, where the Talmud was written, fewer than 10 Jews remain today, compared to 140,000 in 1945. In Morocco, the Jewish community numbered around 250,000 in the 1950s, but today there are only about 2,500. These figures illustrate the drastic decline of Jewish populations across the Middle East.
The causes of this mass exodus are multifaceted: the rise of Arab nationalism, followed by Islamism, systemic xenophobia, and more. The near-total disappearance of Middle Eastern Jews raises fundamental questions about pluralism and minority rights in the contemporary Middle East.
Many Jews use the Palestinian concept of “Nakba” to describe their own irreversible displacement, having left behind property, homes, synagogues, and millennia of cultural heritage. For example, the Grand Synagogue of Oran in Algeria is now a mosque. These Jews were systematically dispossessed of their assets without compensation or restitution. This historic injustice remains largely unacknowledged by the international community.
It is important to remember that Middle Eastern Jews were “indigenous,” living in the Maghreb and Mashrek regions long before the Arab invasions of their territories. Over the centuries, Middle Eastern Jews significantly contributed to the richness and diversity of both Oriental and later Arab civilizations.
The issue of the ethnic cleansing of Middle Eastern Jews, largely overlooked, is central for anyone seeking to understand the social, political, and cultural dynamics of the Near and Middle East today, as well as for those interested in the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
22 Jan, 2025 “Le 20ème s. comme siècle de l’épuration ethnique” “The 20th Century as a Century of Ethnic Cleansing”
Dr. Joel Kotek, ISGAP Faculty, Institut Jonathas Bruxelles, Belgium
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05 Feb, 2025 “Histoire et enjeux de la Nakba des Juifs d’Orient” “History and Stakes of the Nakba of the Jews of the Orient”
Georges Bensoussan, Historian and Specialist in the History of Jews from Arab Lands, France
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19 Feb. 2025 “Ques étaient la condition des Juifs en Terre musulmane” “What Were the Conditions of the Jews in Muslim Lands?”
Professor Paul Fenton, Specialist in Hebrew and Arabic Studies, France and Israel
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19 Mar. 2025 “Comment les Juifs ont existé en Terre arabe et pourquoi ils sont partis” “How Jews Lived in Arab Lands and Why They Left”
Daniel Sibony, Psychoanalyst and Philosopher, France
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02 Apr. 2025 “Jamais aussi haut, jamais complètement serein. La contribution des juifs et des chrétiens à la construction de l’État et de la société égyptiennes” “The Contribution of Jews and Christians to the Construction of the Egyptian State and Society”
Dr. Daniel Fishman, Writer and Communications Expert, Italy
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16 Apr. 2025 “Similitudes et différences entre la “Nakba juive”” et palestinienne” “Similarities and Differences Between the Jewish and Palestinian ‘Nakba'”
Dr. Denis Charbit, Associate Professor, Political Science, Open University of Israel
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30 Apr. 2025 “Tragédie et résiliences Juifs d’Orient” “Tragedy & Resilience of Orient Jews”
Judith Cohen-Solal, Writer, Psychoanalyst, and Documentarist, France
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14 May. 2025 “L’action de la LICRA dans les pays arabes (1934-1950)” “LICRA’s Actions in Arabic Countries”
Emmanuel Debono, Historian, Writer and Director of Journal LICRA, France
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28 May. 2025 “Que faire ? La spoliation des Juifs d’Orient : justice et réparations” “What to do? The Dispossession of the Orient Jews: Justice and Reparations”
Sylvain Abitbol, NGO President, Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, Canada
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