From the Desk of a Male, Pale and Stale

· To be “put to the sword” means killed or massacred: ‘ended’¹.

· It can also be about how a religion can spread and dominate².

Let us start, a long time ago and in a place called Libya.

The oldest trace of a Jewish existence in Libya appears in Sirte, where some archaeological surveys made in the Barion region dated its synagogue to the 10th century BC, during King Solomon’s reign³. Jewish communities thrived in cities like Cyrene and Benghazi, integrating into civic life and holding various positions within city administrations. Before the Arab invasion, it is estimated that there were around 50,000 Jews living in Libya ¹. Despite being well integrated into the community, following the 7^thC Arab invasion the Jews were persecuted; many were killed or banished and the community began to decline⁴.

By WWII Libya’s Jewish population, was down to approximately 40,000. During WWII the Jews were persecuted by the fascist Italians and, after the war, anti-Jewish violence continued, prompting many Jews to emigrate, primarily to Israel (90 per cent), Italy and North America⁵.

The situation deteriorated further under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. Gaddafi’s regime confiscated Jewish properties, nationalised businesses, and imposed restrictions on Jewish religious practices⁶. In 1969, Gaddafi expelled the remaining Jewish community leaders and banned Jewish emigration, effectively isolating the community ². This led to the clandestine emigration of the remaining Jewish population⁷.

By 1967, the Jewish population in Libya had decreased to around 7,000³. Following the Six-Day War, anti-Jewish riots led to further violence and emigration. The last Jew in Libya, Rina Debach, left the country in 2003 ⁸. Today, there are no Jews left in Libya, marking the end of a once-thriving community that had existed for thousands of years.

The history of Jews in Egypt dates to the third century BC, with significant communities in cities like Alexandria and Cairo⁹. By the first century, there were an estimated 1,000,000 Jews in Egypt, with around 200,000 residing in Alexandria ¹⁰. These communities thrived under various rulers, contributing to the local economy and culture. The rise of Islamic rule in the seventh century led to increased restrictions on Jewish communitiesin the form of increased taxes, persecution and forced conversion. Consequently, many Jews emigrated or converted to Islam. By the 19th century, the Jewish population had dwindled to only a few thousand Jews remaining in Egypt¹¹.

The Arab-Israeli War in 1948, the Lavon Affair in 1954 and the Suez Crisis in 1956 led to further persecutions and subsequent emigration. Many Jews were expelled and their properties were confiscated. By the 1960s, the Jewish population had dwindled to around 7,000¹². Under President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime, Jews faced increasing hostility, leading to further emigration… Today, the Jewish community in Egypt is virtually extinct, with fewer than 20 Jews remaining in the country ³. The synagogues have crumbled or become museums and Jewish schools are devoid of Jewish children. The current Jewish population is composed mainly of elderly individuals, with no rabbis left to perform regular religious services¹².

Jews living in Lebanon date back to biblical times, with Jewish communities well integrated into Lebanese society and established in cities like Sidon, Tyre and Beirut. The Jewish population in Lebanon peaked at around 10,000 ¹³. The invasion led to the imposition of new social and economic structures that discriminated against the Jewish population. Jews faced punitive measures, such as tithes, forced conversions, persecution, and banishment ². By the early 20th century, the Jewish population in Lebanon had been reduced to an estimated 3,500.

While the Jewish population in Lebanon saw a brief increase in the early 20th century, reaching around 10,000 by the 1950s due to an influx of Jews from other Arab countries, the Arab-Israeli War in 1948 and the Six-Day War in 1967 led to significant emigration and increased persecution. Many Jews left Lebanon for Israel and Western countries. By 1971, the Jewish population had again dwindled to around 4,000. The 1975 Lebanese Civil War brought immense suffering for the remaining Jewish community, with around 200 Jews killed in anti-Jewish pogroms, leading to a mass exodus of over 1,800 Jews¹³. Today, Lebanon’s Jewish community is nearly extinct, with only 30 to 200 Jews remaining¹⁴ out of a total population of approximately 5.81 million ¹⁵. The Jewish quarter of Beirut, Wadi Abu Jamil, is largely abandoned, and there are no active synagogues or Jewish schools. The once-thriving community that existed for thousands of years has almost entirely vanished¹³.

The history of Jews in Assyria dates to the period of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–609 BC). During this time, the Assyrian kings, such as Tiglath-Pileser III and Shalmaneser V, deported several thousand Israelites from the Kingdom of Israel to Assyria following their conquest. These deportations, known as the “Assyrian Captivity”, led to the integration of Jewish communities into Assyrian society. The Jews in Assyria lived in cities like Halah, Habor and Medes¹⁶. Over the centuries, the Jewish communities in Assyria largely remained independent, maintaining their religious and cultural identity, though, in the 18th century, many Assyrian Jews accommodated Sephardic Jewish traditions ¹⁷, i.e., the Jewish community in Assyria adapted to changing political and social landscapes while preserving their heritage.

The 20th century brought significant changes for the Jews in Assyria. During the Assyrian genocide (Sayfo [Syriac: ܣܲܝܦܵܐ, lit. sword)) committed by the Islamic Ottoman in 1915, Jews, along with Assyrian Christians, faced mass murder and deportation ¹⁸. Today, the once-thriving Jewish community in Assyria has largely disappeared, with only a few individuals remaining in the region¹⁶, they have essentially been ‘ended’.

We have established a historical precedence and many more examples of similar happenings with the same consequences could be provided. Let’s skip forward to WWII and an intended fate of Israel itself, as proposed at the time and a narrative that still persists.

Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem on November 28, 1941, had a notable meeting with Hitler at the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. During this meeting, he expressed his support for the Nazi regime and emphasised who were the shared enemies of the Arabs and Germans, particularly the Jews. Al-Husseini sought Hitler’s assistance in opposing the establishment of a Jewish national home and proposed the formation of an Arab Legion to aid the Nazi war effort. He actively sought to align himself with Nazi Germany to further his anti-Jewish agenda¹⁹.

While al-Husseini did not play a direct role in the formulation of the Holocaust, he did advocate for the extermination of Jews in the Arab world^{20, 21}.

Haj Amin al-Husseini sought Hitler’s assistance in implementing an Arab version of the ‘Final Solution’ to address the Jewish population in Palestine and other Arab territories and he received support from various Arab countries, including Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan. These same countries later participated in the Six-Day War against Israel in 1967^{22, 23}. Thus, al-Husseini’s anti-Semitic agenda not only persisted but also contributed to open warfare within the region.

While times have moved on and some of these countries have mollified their stances²⁴, there still exists significant support for Haj Amin al-Husseini’s objectives. For example, factions like Hamas express anti-Semitic views, drawing on historical figures like al-Husseini as exemplars of their cause²⁵. Only a year ago, through action and rhetoric they declared war on Israel²⁶. In Lebanon, Hezbollah also has declared war and again echoed al-Husseini’s anti-Zionist rhetoric. Iran, although not an Arab country, has been a vocal opponent of Israel, supporting groups that share al-Husseini’s objectives, and it also has declared, by action, war on Israel.

The influence of al-Husseini’s objectives and anti-Semitic sentiments persists in various forms across the Middle East and when Arab combatants and their supporters chant “From the River to the Sea”, what do you think they mean?

Unless you were historically illiterate why would you put your own reputation on the line by publicly supporting Hamas, or Hezbollah or Iran – you are supporting zealots of genocidal intent

If you are in any doubt, this video, which is still up on YouTube, should convince you:

Here is a quote from the video: "Oh Allah, bring annihilation upon the Jews. Oh Allah, bring annihilation upon the Jews. Paralyze them, destroy their entity, tear them apart, bring upon them a terrible punishment. Oh Allah, enable us to get to the necks of the Jews. Oh Allah, enable us to get to the necks of the Jews. Oh Allah, enable us to get to the necks of the Jews…”

But believe it or not, this article is not about where Israel is or how they arrived, rather it is about YOU and YOUR INVOLVEMENT.

The information provided highlights a familiar pattern and reveals one side’s agenda. Do YOU support this?

Currently, we see activists who can’t even explain which ‘river’ and which ‘sea’ they refer to in their chants, let alone what they are parroting truly means, taking to the streets confidently, sometimes violently.