Jewish refugees from Arab countries

Contact: Shelomo Alfassa(Justice for Jews from Arab Countries)
tel. 917-606-8262
www.justiceforjews.com
WASHINGTON, DC (April 1, 2008)

The U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 185, which grants first-time-ever recognition to Jewish refugees from Arab countries.

Prior to the adoption of H.Res.185, all Resolutions on Middle East refugees referred only to Palestinians. This Resolution affirms that the U.S. government will now recognize that all victims of the Arab-Israeli conflict must be treated equally. It further urges that the President and U.S. officials participating in Middle East discussions to ensure that any reference to Palestinian refugees must: "also include a similarly explicit reference to the resolution of the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries." H.Res.185 underscores the fact that Jews living in Arab countries suffered human rights violations, were uprooted from their homes, and were made refugees.

Rep. Mike Ferguson said that there was very strong bi-partisan support for this issue which recognizes, "the plight of hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees who were displaced from countries in the Middle East, Northern Africa and all around the Persian Gulf." Congressmen Ferguson acknowledged that the U.N. has never recognized Jewish refugees, and that this,"is completely unacceptable and long over due, and this is one of the things this Resolution seeks to address."

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Jews in substantial numbers resided in what are to-day Arab countries over 1,000 years before the advent of Islam.

Since 1948, over 850,000 Jews have left their birthplaces and their homes in some 10 Arab countries. To-day, fewer than 7,000 Jews remain in these same countries.

The fact that Jews displaced from Arab countries were indeed bone fide refugees, under international law, is beyond question.

("Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries: The Case for Rights and Redress" ,report produced by an international Committee of Legal Experts, co-chaired by Prof. Irwin Cotler and David Matas, 5.11.2007)