Forgotten Refugees

Infobox Film
name = Forgotten Refugees


image_size = 150px
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director = Michael Grynszpan
producer = Michael Grynszpan
writer = J.J. Salman
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cinematography = Joel Leibovitz, Jeff Hardman, Dakkan Abbe
editing = Alexander Betzalel, Yoni Zarka, Ron Moncaz, Alex Gorosh
distributor =
released = 2005
runtime = 49 min.
country =
language = English
budget =
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"Forgotten Refugees" is an award-winning 2005documentary about Jews forced to leave their homes in Middle Eastern nations when antisemitic governments made being Jewish a criminal offense. Survivors, who feel their story has been neglected, explain what happened to them.

ummary

Tens of thousands of Jews once lived in Libya; now there are none left. The numbers are similar throughout the Middle East. Jewish refugees talk about their experiences of antisemitism in the Middle East, revealing just how complicated the conflict between Jews and Muslims is. The film makes it clear that Israel faces a great challenge in trying to reach a peaceful co-existence with its Arab neighbors.

Starting in the seventh century, Muslim leaders in the Middle East recognized their nations’ Jewish minorities as dhimmi, or second class citizens with fewer rights than the Muslim majority. Under this system, Jews weren’t even allowed to ride horses because it would make them taller than Muslims.

The persecution Jews faced came to a head in the twentieth century around the time that Haj Amin al Husseini, the Palestinian nationalist who had close ties to Hitler, declared, “Arabs, raise as one man and fight for your sacred rights. Kill the Jews wherever you find them.” Antisemitism escalated and manifested itself in anti-Jewish regulations similar to the Nazis’ Nuremberg laws, violent riots, and, in some nations, and expulsion of Jews.

The riots in Libya were particularly heinous. Survivors recall that violent rioters tore limbs off of babies, raped women, and one survivor pauses to whisper, “the smell of human being is terrible.”

In the documentary’s view, no one has been willing to recognize the injustice that Middle Eastern Jews have suffered. Since its formation, the United Nations has passed 101 resolutions regarding refugees in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and not one of those resolutions dealt with Jewish refugees.

Awards

"Forgotten Refugees" won best documentary at the Marbella Film Festival

References

*cite news
last =
first =
title =Forgotten Refugees
language = English
publisher = The Jewish Channel
date =
url =http://www.tjctv.com/movies/the-forgotten-refugees/
accessdate = July 28

*cite news
last =
first
title =The Forgotten Refugees
language = English
publisher = The David Project center for Jewish leadership
date =
url =http://www.theforgottenrefugees.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
accessdate = July 28

ee also

*Jewish exodus from Arab lands
*Jewish refugees
*Islam and antisemitism
*Arabs and antisemitism

Other documentaries about Jews and Muslims:
*"Jews of Iran"
*"La Ghriba"

External links

* [http://www.tjctv.com/movies/the-forgotten-refugees/ The Jewish Channel's review]
* [http://www.forgottenrefugees.org/index.php Forgotten Refugees website]
* [http://www.theforgottenrefugees.com/ the film Forgotten Refuggees official website]
* [http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/middleeast/The_Middle_Easts_Forgotten_Refugees.asp Jewish World's article]