Jewish Organization Commends the Israeli Knesset for Including Jews of North Africa in Holocaust Law



March 24, 2005 -- The International Society for Sephardic Progress (ISFSP) commends the Israeli Knesset for passing an important amendment to the Law for Sufferers of Nazi Persecution to include Jews from Libya and Tunisia. This law will include Jews from these countries persecuted by the Nazis before or during WWII. The law was amended after a long battle and after a string of losses in the Knesset. The law was proposed by Moshe Kahlon, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and Yitzhak Cohen, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

"This is a significant step," stated Shelomo Alfassa, Executive Director of the ISFSP. He continued, "Several groups have been working to bring about inclusive measures which include the Jews from Arab and Mizrahi lands, as these Jews have often been forgotten victims of the Holocaust." Alfassa declared, "Many people still don't realize that the Holocaust also took place outside of Central Europe, it affected Jews in both North Africa and the Middle East. We can't forget Hitler's hand stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Tigris River."

Historically, Tunisia and Libya were occupied by Axis powers, and Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia were controlled by Vichy France, yet almost all the maps and listings of victims limit themselves to Europe. In 1948, nearly 900,000 Jews lived in Arab countries, but because of the Anti-Semitic paradigm Hitler created, nearly 99% have been uprooted. Even after the destruction of the Third Reich, the environment Hitler created in the Arab world persisted, and for many years Jews continued to be driven from their homes and businesses.

The ISFSP invites those interested in learning more about the project to recognize the Holocaust in Sephardic lands, or those wishing to obtain an official State of Israel Rights of Jews from Arab Lands claim form to visit the Sephardic Holocaust Project at http://www.holoseph.org.

Point of Contact: Shelomo Alfassa 407-496-1125





Jewish Organization Commends the Israeli Knesset for Including Jews of North Africa in Holocaust Law