MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh said that the day helped to remind us of the hundreds of thousands of Jews who were ethnically cleansed. “We must acknowledge and empower these voices,” she wrote.850,000 Jews called Arab lands & Iran home for centuries.That all changed when #Israel become a state in 1948. In the years that followed, Jews were forced to flee en mass, fearing for their lives.Linda Menuhin was one of these refugees. Today she's sharing her story. pic.twitter.com/bdvSYbAoVI
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) November 30, 2020
The work on partnering with like-minded people in the UAE is a welcome new initiative, said Hassan-Nahoum. “It’s a great opportunity and I think to look at a joint future for the region, it’s important to celebrate the commonalities of our past, and we have a lot of years of good relations with our Muslim cousins, ultimately I think it is coming full circle, and we need to learn how to find the things that unite us.” Mizrahi heritage a key to that. Her family came from Morocco and has origins in Spain. Her husband’s family is from Iraq. “My philosophy is that Mizrahi Jews need to take a more active role in peace building because we have a similar culture and our stories show we are indigenous to this region and land,” she said. The supporters of this initiative of bridge building with Mizrahi heritage as a cornerstone hope to see the first fruits of their work soon with a unique event in the UAE that will bring together Arabs and Jews with Mizrahi Jewish heritage as a part of the bridge to peace.#JewishRefugeesDay serves as memory & reminder to recognize the 850,000+ Jewish refugees ethnically cleansed from Arab Lands & Iran, destroying lives & communities.We must acknowledge & empower these voices, identifying the opportunity to transform trauma into a bridge to peace pic.twitter.com/De7sKalMBQ
— מיכל קוטלר-וונש | Michal Cotler-Wunsh (@CotlerWunsh) November 30, 2020