The Jews Of Arab Lands

A sequel to his book "The Jews of Arab Lands" (1979). Discusses the last 150 years, divided into two sections - "History" (pp. 1-180), and "Sources" (pp. 181-555), containing documents relevant to the seven chapters of the history section. European colonialism was perceived as a threat by the Muslims while the Jews used it to rise above their traditional subordinate status. Describes the penetration of antisemitism in Arab lands between 1929-39 due to the growth of Arab nationalism, Arab association of Jews with the colonial powers, the desire to emulate German or fascist nationalism, and the exacerbation of Arab-Jewish tensions in Palestine. The undermining of the Jews' position during this period was followed by a total collapse in the ensuing decade - as the Baghdad pogrom of 1941, the widespread rioting between 1945-47, and the preference of colonial or mandatory authorities not to antagonize the Arabs attest. Militant Arab and Islamic nationalism showed the Jews that there was no place for them in Arab society and led to their mass migration after the founding of the State of Israel. ǂc (From the Bibliography of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism).

In this new history, French author Georges Bensoussan retells the story of what life was like for Jews in the Arab world since 1850. During the early years of this time, it was widely believed that Jewish life in Arab lands was peaceful. Jews were protected by law and suffered much less violence, persecution, and inequality. Bensoussan takes on this myth and looks back over the history of Jewish-Arab relations in Arab countries. He finds that there is little truth to the myth and forwards a nuanced history of interrelationship that is not only diverse, but deals with local differences in cultural, religious, and political practice. Bensoussan divides the work into sections that cover 1850 to the end of WWI, from 1919 to the eve of WWII and then from WWII to the establishment of Israel and the Arab Wars. A new afterword brings the history of Jewish and Arab relations into the present day. Bensoussan has determined that the history of Jews in Arab countries is a history of slowly disintegrating relationships, increasing tension, violence, and persecution.

Describes the situations of the long-established Jewish communities of the Arab world, the forces that led them to immigrate to Israel, and the conditions that shaped their new lives in a Jewish state led by Jews of a different heritage

Norman Stillman has produced a comprehensive and articulate history of the turbulent and complex relationships in the Middle East that brilliantly captures the people and the history.