World Jewish Congress Applauds Congressional Initiative in Recognition of Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries

NEW YORK, July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The World Jewish Congress today applauded the introduction of bi-partisan legislation by Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Howard Berman (D-CA), Ted Poe (R-TX), Joe Crowley (D-NY), and Bob Turner (R-NY) that seeks to recognize the fact that 850,000 Jewish refugees were expelled from Arab countries during the past 60 years. Among other actions, the bill would require the President and members of the administration to raise this issue with all relevant international organizations and other parties in discussions of the Middle East and to report to Congress that they have done so.

Evelyn Sommer, Chair, World Jewish Congress, North America, said "For a long time, the plight of the Jews who were forced to flee Arab countries has been ignored by the international community. Since 1948, in many countries across the Middle East and North Africa, Jews were persecuted, their property stolen, and ancient Jewish synagogues and cemeteries were destroyed.  Banished and impoverished, most of these Jewish refugees came to Israel where they were welcomed with open arms, became citizens, and today thrive in the Jewish state."

"Yet, the injustices done to these Jewish communities that existed for many hundreds of years and that were brutally uprooted have not been recognized or addressed. There are no United Nations resolutions to be found acknowledging this fact.  We praise Representatives Nadler, Ros-Lehtinen, Berman, Poe, Crowley, and Turner for introducing this initiative in the House to help raise awareness of this history of intolerance and to demand an honest reckoning of this repression. We strongly urge the members of the United States Congress to pass this legislation," said Sommer.

SOURCE World Jewish Congress

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