Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Libya Ought To Redress The Jews For The Atrocities They Suffered


A Bit Of Recent History

As happened in other Arab countries, a large number of Jews were murdered or forced to leave Libya in the 20th century. These pogroms were officially condoned. These pogroms happened at the end of World War II, 1948, and around 1967.

Here is the personal account of such atrocities committed against Jews in Libya. It is a blog written by David Harris at the HuffingtonPost.com headlined “A Neglected Anniversary” dated 7/8/2012.

Here are some excerpts from this blog (Emphasis added):
·         “Here [in Libya] was a community that had lived on the soil for more than two millennia, long predating the occupation by invading armies from the Arabian Peninsula. And Jews, numbering nearly 50,000 at their peak, had contributed in every way imaginable to the area’s development. Libya went to work to erase every trace of Jewish existence.”
·         “The link with the country today known as Libya - believed to date back to the tragic 15th-century exodus of Jews from Spain, in the case of my wife's maternal lineage, and 2,000 years to the involuntary Roman transport of Jews from Palestine in the case of her paternal lineage -- was severed.”
·         “What happened to the brave soul who saved my wife's family? He survived, but begged the family never to disclose his name. He feared retribution from fellow Libyans who might do him harm for the "crime" of saving ten Jews.” (Will Israel one day add the name of this brave Arab to Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among The Nations?)

Libya never showed any remorse for what happened neither did the other Arab countries to my knowledge.

How To Redress?

Now that the first free elections since independence were held in Libya, it would be recommendable that Libya engages in the Mid-East peace process by first telling the Arabs in Gaza and West Bank to get real and to abandon violence against Israel.

Second, like Germany, Libya should compensate Jewish survivors for their suffering.

Third, Libya ought to welcome back any Jews who wish to return etc.

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