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Baghdad Great Synagogue as reconstructed at the Babylonian Jewish Heritage Center in Or Yehuda. (Reuters) Last update - 16:07 22/10/2006 Mideast Jewish refugees launch campaign for international recognition By Reuters World Jewish groups began a global campaign on Sunday calling for recognition of Jews from Arab countries as refugees in the Middle East conflict. "The world sees the plight of Palestinian refugees, and not withstanding their plight, there must be recognition that Jews from Arab countries are also victims of the Arab-Israeli conflict," said Stanley Urman, executive director of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) JJAC, a U.S.-based coalition of Jewish organizations, is one of the groups coordinating the campaign which aims to record testimonies of Jews who fled in the face of persecution, list asset losses and lobby foreign governments on their behalf. Advertisement Jewish groups have estimated that since 1948 at least 900,000 Jews have been forced to leave their homes in Arab countries such as Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. At least 600,000 went to Israel. The rest sought sanctuary in France, Britain, the United States and other countries. A meeting of Jewish groups in Jerusalem on Sunday marked the first concerted effort to put the issue on the world agenda. Linda Abdel Aziz, who fled to Israel in 1971, is one of many thousands of Jews born in Iraq who left or were expelled as conditions deteriorated due to discriminatory legislation, pogroms and public executions. Abdel Aziz has recorded her testimony in the campaign. Her father, Jacob, who stayed behind in Iraq, disappeared in 1972, and family members believe he was executed by the ruling Baath party regime for being a Jew. "We did not interfere in politics but we were persecuted. We are all haunted," said Abdel Aziz, 56. Roots Jewish communities in the Middle East stretch back over 2,500 years. But anti-Jewish violence, fanned by Arab nationalism, swept through the region in the early 1940s. A wave of pogroms against Jews was triggered by the establishment of Israel in 1948 and a war in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in what became the Jewish state. After 1948, conditions deteriorated for Jews in many Arab countries, including the confiscation of their property by Arab governments. The World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries, another body spearheading the new campaign, has estimated that Jews lost more than $100 billion in personal and community assets through confiscations by various Arab governments. While some individuals have tried to file suits for lost property particularly in Libya and Iraq, there has so far not been a concerted effort by Jewish groups to seek reparations. JJAC is working in tandem with Israel's Ministry of Justice, which is collecting and registering testimonials, affidavits and property claims. The ministry has already received thousands of claims to date. "With memories fading, and elderly people passing on each day, this will be our last, best chance to obtain this important record of Jewish history and the evidence for future claims," Urman said. Any future claims are complicated by the fact that the departure of Jews from Arab states happened alongside the flight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Millions of Palestinians who fled themselves or are descended from those who left their homes behind, demand a "right of return" to what is now Israel, or at least compensation for their losses. Most live in Arab states neighboring Israel. "If there will be compensation for Palestinian refugees, there must be compensation for Jewish refugees," Urman said. Abbas Shiblak, a British-based Palestinian writer and author of a book on the Jews of Iraq, said their plight should not be compared with the Palestinian refugee issue. "Their [Middle Eastern Jews'] rights should be addressed and discussed with each of the concerned Arab states with the help of the international community and only after a comprehensive peace settlement is agreed," Shiblak said Bookmark to del.icio.us   Justice for Jews London summit focuses on plight of Jewish refugees from Arab states. No place like home Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country.   1.   A Jewish Solution 16:09  |  USA all the Way 22/10/06   2.   Jew have Israel now 16:21  |  Gaza Boy 22/10/06   3.   The simplest and most practical way of dealing with Jewish 16:23  |  Shlomzion 22/10/06   4.   why bring this up? 16:26  |  Leon Rosgarten 22/10/06   5.   refugees 16:35  |  zarrouk 22/10/06   6.   It`s about time! 16:50  |  Z Lando 22/10/06   7.   Lets make a deal and agree 16:56  |  Ahmad Abouali 22/10/06   8.   Arab Countries Invite Jews Back 17:19  |  Dovy 22/10/06   9.   #2 Ahmad, I`ve got a better idea 17:27  |  Yonatan 22/10/06   10.   Mideast Jewish refugees 17:35  |  Shmuelshachor 22/10/06   11.   Jewish refugees must go back to Arab countries 17:51  |  zeev 22/10/06   12.   USA All the Way Re Jewish Solution 17:52  |  Eli 22/10/06   13.   Arabs Have 23 Countries, Jews have 4/5th of Israel 17:54  |  Rick Geiger 22/10/06   14.   Iran 17:55  |  Peter 22/10/06   15.   Jews invited back, my foot 17:56  |  Abir 22/10/06   16.   #2 gaza boy 17:58  |  ruth 22/10/06   17.   To Ahmad Abouali. Re Arab Jews and Invitation to go back 18:09  |  Eli 22/10/06   18.   ruth 18:17  |  Gaza Boy 22/10/06   19.   Human solution: Jews back to their homes, Palestinians back to 18:22  |  Tunisian Jew 22/10/06   20.   Arabs have 23 countries? 18:33  |  Wiktor 22/10/06   21.   Tunisian Jew. (# 19) 18:37  |  Wiktor 22/10/06   22.   Do I send an arm to the UK and a leg to Persia? 18:43  |  Jasmine Murphy 22/10/06   23.   long over due!!! war is not only fought with bullets 19:11  |  ralph 22/10/06   24.   Ruth, well stated 19:20  |  Benjamin 22/10/06   25.   Gaza Boy. Indeed, the Jews have Israel now. It is now for you and 19:21  |  Shlomzion 22/10/06   26.   Eli. Thank you for sharing with us your family experience! It is 19:28  |  Shlomzion 22/10/06   27.   Jews from Arab countries 19:30  |  Betty Slama 22/10/06   28.   Leon aka Khalid 19:37  |  Danite 22/10/06   29.   Long Overdue 19:39  |  Danite 22/10/06   30.   Don`t give me that propaganda!! 19:43  |  Third World Jew 22/10/06   31.   The Forgotten Refugees 19:49  |  Semsem 22/10/06   32.   Abir #15 - Arabs invited "back" my ear 19:51  |  Third World Jew 22/10/06   33.   #8 Distortion of the truth. 19:51  |  Laila 22/10/06   34.   #2 Gaza Boy; Palestians do have homes 19:54  |  Fortunee 22/10/06   35.   No Comparison!!! 19:54  |  dan 22/10/06   36.   DUTCH: AN INVITATION 19:58  |  Brant 22/10/06   37.   #betty slama 20:08  |  zarrouk 22/10/06   38.   what a joke 20:19  |  sami 22/10/06   39.   My experience 20:22  |  lola 22/10/06   40.   The IP a Binational State 20:38  |  Gadi Peller 22/10/06   41.   Quite happy with the situation 20:53  |  DMG 22/10/06   42.   The Palestinian Plan for a state 20:57  |  Jabadini 22/10/06   43.   #39 I AM SORRY WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH 20:59  |  T A Sheppard 22/10/06   44.   The Palestinian Plan for a state cont. 21:05  |  Jabadini 22/10/06   45.   #2 Gaza Boy 21:07  |  Jane 22/10/06   46.   Wiktor #21 re Tunisian Jew-2nd try 21:07  |  Eli 22/10/06   47.   #5 21:08  |  Jane 22/10/06   48.   How much of Israel do Palestinians want 21:10  |  Jabadini 22/10/06   49.   #7 21:12  |  Jane 22/10/06   50.   #19 21:13  |  Jane 22/10/06   51.   Brant 21:17  |  Jane 22/10/06   52.   Gadi Peller stay in the state enough jews like you here already 21:17  |  Jabadini 22/10/06   53.   To Gadi Peller # 40 21:21  |  Eli 22/10/06   54.   Abouali`s Deal 21:33  |  fish 22/10/06   55.   Jewish State Israel ABSORBED Jewish Refugees, 22 Arab States .... 21:54  |  Vittorio 22/10/06   56.   There was never a palestinian state or nation accept the jews II 21:59  |  Jabadini 22/10/06   57.   3 Schlomzion - Creating a Pattern 22:11  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/10/06   58.   To Vittorio 22:17  |  Eli 22/10/06   59.   to Jane 22:29  |  Gaza Boy 22/10/06   60.   Now where is Peter Dale? 22:35  |  Yonatan 22/10/06   61.   # 7 Ahmad 22:59  |  ChanahS 22/10/06   62.   Jews should also get jordan and all of sinai as compensation 23:04  |  paul 22/10/06   63.   Wiktor # 20 - wrong 23:04  |  ChanahS 22/10/06   64.   Benjamin 23:08  |  ChanahS 22/10/06   65.   #1 USA all the way 23:08  |  Nik Miller 22/10/06   66.   Mark of Lewiston. Why should there be Jewish refugees from the 23:17  |  Shlomzion 22/10/06   67.   #1 USA all the Way 23:21  |  ChanahS 22/10/06   68.   Palestinian`s Have JORDAN 23:23  |  * BEN JABO 22/10/06   69.   re:11 ZEEV - GENEVA 23:25  |  * BEN JABO 22/10/06   70.   #8 - DOVY Arab invites 23:31  |  * BEN JABO 22/10/06   71.   #18 - Franch Jews (Gaza Boy)