DFM Ayalon Calls for Greater Recognition of the Real 'Nakba'

Press Release (Communicated by the Bureau of Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon)

DFM Ayalon Calls for Greater Recognition of the Real 'Nakba'

Today (Sunday, 15th May 2011), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny
Ayalon called for greater recognition of the history of Jewish refugees from
Arab lands. "Today, as the Palestinians and their supporters commemorate
their so-called 'Nakba', it is imperative that the catastrophe that befell
the Jews from Arab lands be remembered and recognized," Ayalon said. "While
the Arabs in 1948 were involved in hostilities against the Jews, the Jews of
the Middle East and North Africa were not present in a theater of war, yet
overnight their citizenship was revoked, their assets stolen and they were
expelled or forced to flee."

"There is also a massive disparity in numbers, while the Arabs refugees
numbered just over half a million, the Jewish refugees numbered over 900,000
and because they were urban and wealthy, their assets accounted for almost
double those of the more rural Arabs."

Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon is also spearheading the issue of Arab
refugees and is making this a central issue within the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. "In any future agreement with the Palestinians, the issue of the
Jewish refugees should be recognized and those who fled, and their
descendants, ought to receive redress," Ayalon said. "This issue has been
recognized by United Nations resolutions, peace agreements with our
neighbors, in the U.S. Congress and the Knesset. The Palestinian refugee
narrative has been allowed to stand uncontested, too few people know about
the real 'Nakba', that saw the dispossession of almost a million Jews, and
it is about time for this to change."

Ayalon has written several publications on this issue in the local and
foreign media. Next Monday, 23rd May at 12:30, the Deputy Foreign Minister
will be speaking at a briefing on the issue of the Jewish refugees from Arab
countries with JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and Northern
Africa) at MediaCentral in Jerusalem.

You can follow the Deputy Foreign Minister on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Mr. Ashley Perry
Media Advisor
Deputy Foreign Minister's Office
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
+972 (0) 50 620 3197
ashley.perry@mfa.gov.il