In the mid-20th century, Jews living in Arab lands became the targets of violent acts aggression and oppression spurred on by the rise of Arab nationalism and the conflict in Mandatory Palestine.

Despite having lived in Arab lands for thousands of years, Jews were expelled, denaturalized, harassed and murdered, causing the flight of some 850,000 Jews from their homes. The Arab authorities expropriated Jewish property and stole billions of dollars from the fleeing refugees, who were never repaid or compensated.  

In response to the “Jewish Nakba (Catastrophe),” the newly established State of Israel opened up its borders and absorbed hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees. 

Today we remember the pain and suffering of all the Jews who had their lives ripped away, simply because they were Jewish.

Pictured: Yemenite Jews walking to Aden, the site of a reception camp, ahead of their way to Israel in 1949