Volume XXX No. 7 July, 1975 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOAJm OF aWBH RSUmS Bl CREAT OOTABI Herbert Freeden (Jerusaleni) pounds of his property, jewellery valued at 140 Egyptian pounds, and Egyptian-made commodities (clothing and shoes) freely. In the course of three and a half months, from THE DOWNWARD ROAD OF EGYPTIAN JEWRY November 22, 1956 to March 1957, 14,102 Jews were expelled from Egypt in this According to a paper released by the charged with Zionism or Communism, al­ manner; a further 7,000 were expelled up to Public Information Office, Jerusalem, the though up to this time Zionism had not been September 1957. The expulsion operation con­ number of Jews in Egypt was 67,000 in 1945. banned in Egypt. On June 20, 1948, bombs tinued later as well, and there were many *"rom then on, incitement against Jews in­ were set off in the Jewish neighbourhood of who left because they were deprived of their creased. On November 2, 1945—Balfour Cairo. Twelve homes were destroyed in the means of livelihood. Altogether, some 36,000 "^y—anti-Jewish rioting vvas organised in blast, 34 Jews were killed, and over 80 were Jews left up to the beginning of 1960. Cairo, the first of their type in modern injured. In reaction to the bombing of Cairo Egypt. These riots, which gave the signal to by the Israeli Air Force, on July 15, an Arab At the outbreak of the Six-Day War in other Arab nationalists to turn on the Jews mob attacked Jews on the streets, others 1967, units of the security services raided |n their own countries, began with a rush of pulled Jews off buses and beat them, while Jewish homes and arrested all males between "Misr-el-Fatat" (Young Egypt) members into the police did not intervene. Following pres­ the ages of 16-50. Those holding foreign Jhe Jewish neighbourhood. This group, sure by foreign delegations, the mob was citizenship were immediately expelled with­ Jieaded by Ahmed Hussein and symbolised by scattered by the police, but during July 17-20, out being allowed to take with them any pro­ their green shirts, began activities in the several bombs went off in the Jewish neigh­ perty. They were forced to sign a declaration 1930s. Several weeks earlier its members had bourhood, causing the death or injury of 250 forfeiting their property, a procedure that threatened Jews with injury if they did not Jews. In addition, some 500 shops were since then has become standard practice. The pxpress their reservations conceming Zion­ looted. On September 22, 1948 a further 19 number of prisoners exceeded 700. They were ism. On November 2, a synagogue containing Jews were killed and 62 wounded in more ex­ crowded into the police stations of Cairo and twenty-seven Torah scrolls was set afire. A plosions. In October Jews were murdered and Alexandria; later, they were transferred to hospital, a home for the aged and other robbed in Cairo and Alexandria, and on prisons in Tura and Abu-Zaabal and the Jewish institutions were destroyed. In ad­ November 11, another bomb went off in the brutalities assumed an organised, continuous dition, Jewish shops in the city were Jewish neighbourhood of Cairo. The Chief character. The Chief Rabbi was under house damaged. Rabbi of Egypt, Rabbi Haim Nahum, was arrest. The Red Cross was not allowed to Five days before the Palestine partition re- forced, on the eve of Israel's establishment visit them. As a result of the intervention of 5plution was passed, on November 24, 1947, as a State, to declare that the duty of Egypt­ international organisations and foreign Gov­ Egypt's delegate to the UN General As­ ian Jews was to defend their country against ernments, by December 1967 some 700 of the Zionism. prisoners had been provided with foreign sembly, Heikal Pasha, declared that "the passports (mainly Spanish) and immediately ^rab Govemments will do everything in The shock was profound, and despite the expelled along with their families, but vrith­ their power to protect their Jewish citizens, calmer atmosphere which prevailed after a out any of their property. t'ut we all know that the incited mass is at while, tens of thousands began the process of times stronger than the police. Uninten­ emigration. In February 1954, General The situation worsened in September 1968. tionally, you are about to ignite the flame of Naguib was deposed, and replaced by Colonel No exit permits were issued at all. The ^nti-Semitism in the Middle East, and its ex­ Gamal Abdel Nasser. The authorities' attitude economic situation deteriorated. Entire tinction will be more difficult than it was in towards Jews underwent a change for the families whose breadwinners were dismissed permany." This statement constituted a worse. In the course of a few months, tens of from their jobs were living on a monthly threat. The trath was that the Egyptian Jews were arrested, some on the charge of Red Cross allowance of El 10-15. In early Authorities could prevent rioting, and did in espionage for Israel, and in December 1954 1969 there were 226 prisoners, in a state of '^ct prevent further injuries to Jews until the death sentence was passed on two of mental depression. The Egyptians claimed June 1948, when the Egyptian authorities them. They were hanged in early 1955, des­ that the prisoners had not fuLEilled their ob­ ^pre the first to take steps to harm Jews as pite interventions on their behalf. Anti- ligation to the Egyptian army, and that they Zionists, regardless of their citizenship. Jewish publications in EgjT)t, some of which held a double allegiance. The total population On May 15, 1948 King Farouk declared a were even distributed by Government pub­ at that time was estimated at 2,000. state of emergency in the country. Ac­ lishing houses, also increased from that time In June 1970 the last 79 Jewish prisoners cordingly, ordinances were published that onwards. Among other publications was the were released. 71 of them left Egypt im­ ^onth which were injurious mainly to Jews, Arab translation of the "Protocols of the mediately, and the remaining eight signed a pn May 25, citizens were prohibited from Elders of Zion". The authorities made it im­ commitment that they and their families leaving the countrj' without a special permit. possible for Jews to leave Egypt. Emigration would never leave the country. On September On May 30 an ordinance was published which to Israel decreased during this period, due 24, 1970 an additional 86 Jews, of the Permitted the Govenmient to confiscate the to the lack of exit permits. In mid-1956, the prisoners' families, left. Since then, only Property of people whose activities were con­ number of Jews in Egypt was estimated at selective emigration has been permitted. In sidered harmful to the State. Within a short some 40,000. early 1971, there were 600-700 Jews in Egypt. Space of time, the property of over 110 With the outbreak of the Sinai Campaign Their property was confiscated. They suf­ People and companies had been confiscated, on November 1, 1956, a military order was fered from unemployment and the lack of the vast majority of these Jews, or com­ published, authorising the General Adminis­ Jewish community and educational in­ mercial companies which had branches in tration of Absentees Property to administer stitutions. *;alestine. In August 1948, an order was pub­ the property of political prisoners, and even In March 1972, Rabbi Duek, until then the Ushed allowing only Egyptian citizens to be to sell it. Several days later, the arrest of leader of the Cairo community, left the orokers on the Egyptian exchange. Another hundreds of Jews in Egypt was reported, and country. According to him, it was a com­ JTder was published in September, according their property was transferred to the same munity in which "no marriages are con­ tp which Egyptian citizenship was a pre- Administrator General. In this way thousands tracted and no children are bom any more". )^ftiinary condition for practising medicine. of Jews suddenly became pennUess. Be­ This sentence gives a grim summation of the *^hus, the category of Egyptian Jews who suf- ginning at this time, Jews were ordered to situation of the 450 Jews left in Egypt, t^ered economically was enlarged. pack a few of their belongings and leave the mainly in Cairo (350) and Alexandria (100). During this period, hundreds of Jews were country within several days. Each person The average age of this remnant of a com­ Arrested and placed in detention camps. leaving was allowed to take only 30 Egyptian munity is 60. Page 2 AJR INFORMATION July, 1975 NEWS FROAA ABROAD JEWRY IN THE EAST JEWISH COLONEL VICTIMISED UNITED STATES CHURCHES AGAINST DISCRIMINATION Colonel Yefim Davidovich of Minsk, a retired Intermarriage Members of the Canadian Council of Soviet Army colonel, and a much-decorated war hero, spoke on the site of the Minsk Ghetto At the annual conference of the American Churches have been asked to refrain from issuing baptismal certificates to travellers wish­ at a meeting of Jews commemorating the 30th Jewish Committee, Dr. Max J. Routtenberg, anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis, paying former president of the (Conservative) Rab­ ing to visit Arab countries. The general secre­ tary of the council, the Rev. Dr. Floyd Honey, tribute to the victims of the Holocaust. In his binical Assimbly, expressed the view that address Mr. Davidovich denounced as an anti­ intermarriage is not a threat to the survival of said in a letter to member churches that the decision was taken "on the basis that require­ semite the poet Maksim Luzhanin (pen name the American Jewish community, even though ment of a baptismal certificate would be of Alexander Karaty), a candidate for the one in three Jews now marries out.