On the Jews of Libya…………
“TRIPOLI - A Libyan Jewish community leader who visited his birthplace for the first time since being forced to flee in 1967 said on Friday it felt like he was living a dream. Raphael Luzon, who was driven out after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and now lives in London, visited his birthplace of Benghazi, 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) east of Tripoli, with his sister and 83-year-old mother. "We visited Benghazi and met our loved ones amid tears and great longing for friends we have never forgotten," said Luzon. It felt like he was "in a dream." Luzon, who also met several Libyan officials during the visit, said he regretted not having had the chance to hold talks with the country's leader Moamer Gaddafi. Libya's Jewish population, numbering tens of thousands, shrunk after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. Most of the estimated 7,000 remaining Jews were evacuated after the 1967 war following anti-Jewish riots……”
By the time Qadhafi took power in 1969, the Jews of Libya were gone. And none too soon because who knows what atrocities the erratic colonel might have condoned (if not committed).
It was a loss for Libya, just as other Jewish departures were losses for other Arab countries. They enriched life and made it diversified. As for Libya, and from what I have seen, this forced emigration was a loss that reduced the level of culture and possibly intelligence in that country.
Cheers
mhg
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