History of the Jews in Libya 4763075 207126884 2008-04-21T15:02:49Z Carabinieri 389283 {{History of Libya}} '''[[Jew]]s''' have lived '''in [[Libya]]''' since the [[3rd century BC]], when [[North Africa]] was under [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] rule. During [[World War II]], Libya's Jewish population was subjected to [[anti-Semitic]] laws by the [[Italian fascism|Fascist]] [[Italy|Italian]] regime and deportations by [[Nazi Germany|German troops]]. After the war, anti-Jewish violence caused many Jews to leave the country, usually for [[Israel]]. Under Colonel [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]], who has ruled the country since [[1969]], the situation deteriorated leading to the emigration of all of the Jews. Al-Gaddafi's attempts to become a respected member of the international community again since the [[1990s]], have, however, led to a more friendly policy towards Jewish people. ==Ancient history== During the [[Greco-Roman]] period Libya corresponded approximately with [[Cyrene]] and the territory belonging to it. Jews lived there - including many that moved there from [[Egypt]]; [[Augustus]] granted Cyrene's Jewish population certain privileges through [[Flavius]], the governor of the province. At the time, they had close contact to the Jews in [[Jerusalem]]. In [[73 BC]] during the [[First Jewish-Roman War]] in [[Iudaea Province]], there was also a revolt by the Jewish community in [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]] led by Jonathan the Weaver, which was quickly suppressed by the governor [[Catullus]]. Jonathan was denounced to the governor of [[Pentapolis]]. <ref name=Libya>Gottheil, Richard; Krauss, Samuel: "[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=385&letter=L&search=libya Libya]" in [[Jewish Encyclopedia]]. Retrieved July 14, 2006.</ref><ref name=Cyrene>[[Richard James Horatio Gottheil|Gottheil, Richard]]; [[Samuel Krauss|Krauss, Samuel]]: "[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=949&letter=C Cyrene]" in [[Jewish Encyclopedia]]. Retrieved July 14, 2006.</ref> In vengeance, the Romans then killed him and many wealthy Jews in Cyrene. In [[115]], another Jewish revolt broke out not only in Cyrene, but also in [[Egypt]] and [[Cyprus]].<ref name=berkeley>"[http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/JewsofLibya/LibyanJews/thejews.html History of the Jewish Community in Libya]". Retrieved July 1, 2006</ref> Several Libyan Jews from this period are known today, such as [[Jason of Cyrene]], whose work is the source of the [[Second Book of Maccabees]], and [[Simon of Cyrene]], who carried the cross of [[Jesus]] as Jesus was taken to his [[crucifixion]].<ref name=Cyrene/> ==Italian colonization and World War II== In [[1911]], Libya was colonized by [[Italy]]. By [[1931]], there were 21,000 Jews living in the country (4% of the total population), mostly in [[Tripoli]]. The situation for the Jews was generally good. But, in the late [[1930s]] [[anti-Semitic]] laws started being passed by the [[Italian fascism|Fascist]] Italian regime. Among the laws were that Jews were fired from government jobs, some were sent away from government schools and their papers were stamped with the words "Jewish race". Despite the repression Libyan Jews were subject to during this time, one quarter of the population of Tripoli was still Jewish in [[1941]] and 44 [[synagogue]]s were maintained in the city. In [[1942]] as [[Germany|German]] troops were fighting the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in North Africa, they occupied the Jewish quarter of [[Benghazi]], plundered shops, deported more than 2,000 Jews across the desert, where more than one-fifth of them perished, and sent many Jews to work in [[labor camp]]s.<ref name=berkeley/> ==After World War II== In the years after the liberation of North Africa by British troops some of the worst anti-Jewish violence occurred. From [[November 5]] to [[November 7]], [[1945]], more than 140 Jews were killed, many more were injured, almost all synagogues were looted and 5 were destroyed along with hundreds of homes and businesses in a pogrom in Tripoli.<ref name=Selent>Selent, pg 20-21</ref><ref name=Shields>Shields, Jacqueline."[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/jewref.html Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries]" in [[Jewish Virtual Library]].</ref> In June [[1948]], rioters killed another 12 Jewish people and destroyed 280 Jewish homes<ref name=Shields/>; this time the Jews did, however, attempt to defend themselves with arms.<ref name=Selent/> The insecurity, which arose from the attacks from the Libyan population as well as the [[Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel|founding of the state of Israel]] led many Jews to emigrate. From [[1948]], especially after this became legal in [[1949]], to [[1951]], 30,972 Jews moved to Israel, in other words made [[Aliyah]].<ref name=berkeley/> On [[December 31]], [[1958]] the Jewish Community Council was ordered to be dissolved by law. In [[1961]], another law required a special permit to prove true Libyan citizenship, which was, however, denied to all but six Jewish inhabitants of the country.<ref name=Shields/> ==Six-Day War== By [[1967]], the Jewish population of Libya was down to 7,000. After the [[Six-Day War]] between [[Israel]] and its Arabic neighbours more revolts by the Libyan population led to another series of attacks on Jews. During these attacks 18 people were killed and more were injured. <ref name=Shields/> Leaders of the Jewish community then asked [[Idris I of Libya|King Idris I]] to allow the entire Jewish population to "temporarily" leave the country; he consented, even urging them to leave. The [[Marina Militare|Italian navy]] supplied an airlift and the aid of several ships to help evacuate more than 6,000 Jews to [[Rome]] in one month; the evacuees were forced to leave their homes, their businesses and most of their possession behind. Of these 6,000 more than 4,000 soon left Italy for Israel or the [[United States]]. The ones who remained built up a Jewish community in Rome, which now consists of 15,000 people including many from Libya and their descendants, which have a large influence on the community. <ref name=Gruber>Gruber, Ruth Ellen:"[http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Libyan+immigrants+a+force+in+Italian+Jewry&intcategoryid=2 Unknown immigration from Libya has swelled ranks of Italian Jewry]" in [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency|JTA]] October 11, 2004. Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref> ==Qaddafi's rule== By the time Colonel [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]] came to power in [[1969]] only about 100 Jews remained in Libya; under his rule, all Jewish property was confiscated, all debts to Jews were cancelled and emigration for Jews was illegalized. Still some Jews succeeded in leaving the country and by [[1974]], only 20 Jews lived in Libya.<ref name=Shields/> In [[2002]], the last known Jew in Libya, [[Esmeralda Meghnagi]], died and it was thought that the long history of Jewry in Libya had ended<ref name=Selent/>;in the same year, however, it was discovered that [[Rina Debach]], a then 80-year old woman, who was born and raised in Tripoli, but thought to be dead by her family in [[Rome]], was still living in a [[nursing home]] in the country. With her ensuing departure for Rome, there were no more Jews in the country.<ref name=Gruber/><ref>[http://www.theforgottenrefugees.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=38 Timeline about Jews in Libya]</ref> In [[2004]], Qaddafi indicated the Libyan government would compensate Jews who were forced to leave the country. In October of that year he met with representatives of Jewish organizations to discuss compensation. He did, however, insist that Jews who moved to Israel would not be compensated. <ref>Shuman, Ellis."[http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Diplomacy/4062.htm Gadhafi ready to compensate Jews who fled Libya]" in [[israelinsider]] September 1, 2004. Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref>Some suspect these moves were motivated by his son [[Saif al-Islam Qaddafi]], who is considered to be a likely successor of his father. In the same year Saif had welcomed Jews back into the country, saying that they are Libyans, that should "leave the land they took from the Palestinians".<ref>Pommerance, Rachel. "[http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=14598&intcategoryid=2 As part of his ‘charm offensive,’ Gadhafi courts former Libyan Jews?]" in [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency|JTA]] October 11, 2004. Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref> On [[December 9]], Qaddafi also invited [[Moshe Kahlon]], the deputy speaker of the [[Knesset]], the Israeli parliament, to Tripoli.<ref>Schwartz, Stephen."[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/029vfaxa.asp Is Libya Contagious?]" in [[Weekly Standard]] December 13, 2004. Retrieved July 1, 2006.</ref> ==References== {{reflist|2}} ===Bibliography=== *{{de icon}} Selent, Karl. "Ein Gläschen Yarden-Wein auf den israelischen Golan". ca-ira [[Freiburg]]. November 2003. ISBN 3-924627-18-5 {{Africa in topic|History of the Jews in}} [[Category:Jewish Libyan history| ]] [[ar:يهود ليبيا]] [[he:יהדות לוב]]