The Mesopotamian "Iraqi" Mizrachi Jews, Where Babylonia lies, Home of Abraham

 

The Mesopotamian "Iraqi" Jews, From the Land of Shinar

 Nadene Goldfoot                                    

Iraq was originally  called Mesopotamia. It's where Babylonia lies.  In the Torah it was also known as the land of Shinar or of Kasdim (Chaldees), as in Ur of the Chaldees-the city that Abraham was from.    Jews of Iraq are the Mizrachi Jews.  There are the Ashkenazim of Europe, originally of Germany, and the Sephardim of Spain and Portugal, and the Mizrachim of the Middle East.  Jews had gone or stayed as the Mizrachim did after 70 CE and the Roman destruction.  

The Torah says it was the cradle of humanity and also the scene of man's 1st revolt against G-d as we read about the Tower of Babel.  Many stories found in our Tanakh are found also in Babylonian literature such as the Flood story with Noah and his  Ark.                                                     

Abraham had migrated from the big city of Ur to Canaan where he later fought against Amraphel, king of Shinar (Gen. 14).  Babylon, another great city, had a bad reputation with our prophets, known as sin city and a symbol of insolent pagan tyranny.  The Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar II (604-56BCE) inherited the Assyrian empire, and after his conquest of Judah in (597-and 586 BCE) exiled many Jews to Babylon as slaves.  

They in turn ran into the members of the Ten northern population of Israel who had been abducted 200 years earlier by the Assyrians.  Now there were a very large population of Jews living there against their will.  Many acclimated and of course, some of the younger generations knew very little about their history of why they were there, living in all Jewish cities such as Nehardea, Nisibis, and Mahoza.                                

Since the destruction of the First Temple there was a connection between Babylonian exiles and the Land of Israel. According to the Al-Yahudu Tablets, a collection of tablets from the sixth century BCE, multiple Jews were given names reflecting their families desire to return to Zion.  The Al-Yahudu tablets are a collection of about 200 clay tablets from the sixth and fifth centuries BCE on the exiled Judean community in Babylonia following the destruction of the First Temple. They contain information on the physical condition of the exiles from Judah and their financial condition in Babylon. The tablets are named after the central settlement mentioned in the documents, al-Yahudu (Akkadian: The city of Judah).

               Yemenite Jews

The earliest document in the collection dates back to 572 BCE, about 15 years after the destruction of the Temple, during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. The most recent tablet dates back to 477 BCE, during the reign of Xerxes I, about 60 years after the Return to Zion began and about 20 years before the rise of Ezra the Scribe.

The Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem in 538 BCE, , but not all chose to leave as the 1st thing that the leadership wanted to do was to rebuild Solomon's Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed.  They would have to start the city from it's beginnings again, and in fact it was already re-populated by Samaritans and others that had been brought in by their captors, an exchange of population.  They got rid of slaves they were tired of and were hoping for a better batch of workers who were work-oriented, such as the northern tribes, they thought.   

However, there were Jews there who did remember, and they were able to keep in touch with Jews back in Judah and even supplied some of their leaders like Hillel.  

During the Roman occupation, the Babylonian Jews rose against the emperor, Trajan, the revolt being bloodily suppressed by his commander, Lucius Quietus in 116.  Under both Persian and Parthian rule, the Jews of Babylon enjoyed an extensive measure of internal autonomy, being headed by an Exilarch of Davidic descent who was the king's representative, while the community was governed by a council of elders.  

The Jews of Babylon created the Babylonian Talmud that was rated higher than the Jerusalem Talmud.  It reflected a society mainly based on agriculture and crafts.  They were learned students in their Jewish studies and had produced works of literary merit by such people as Ezekiel, Daniel and  Tobit.  

By the beginning of the 3rd century, Babylon became the main center of rabbinic studies.  They had academies that were founded by Samuel at Nehardea and by Rav at Sura, while in the later 3rd century, the academy of Purnbedita was founded to replace that at Hehardea which was destroyed in 261.  These schools were most important as they saw the abolition of the Palestinian patriarchate in 425 when Babylon became the spiritual center for all Jewry in the Middle East and possible even Europe as well, like Rome is for Catholicism.

The 5th century of the 400s was the start of much persecution against Jews which led to the Jewish revolt under Mar Zutra II who held out for 7 years, but was finally captured and killed. Mar-Zutra II was a Jewish Exilarch who led a revolt against the Sasanian rulers in 495 CE and achieved seven years of political independence in Mahoza. Mar-Zutra II became Exilarch of the Jewish community in Babylon at the age of fifteen in 483 CE, twelve years before the revolt. Wikipedia                 

 This was when the Talmud was concluded about this period.  Jewish position in the world continued to be difficult until the Arab conquest in the 7th century after Mohammad had died in 632.  Can you imagine?  It was Arabs who ended the anti-Semitism of the others, coming to the Jews' rescue. The Jews had assisted the Arabs in the take-over of Babylonia in the hope that it would deliver them from Sassanid persecution.  After the Arab occupation, what happened to the Jews in Arabia?  Strangely, the Jews there, making up several tribes, were expelled, so they settled in Kufa.  

For centuries, the land of today's Iraq continued to be the center of Jewish life.  The Exilarch and the Gaon (Jewish leadership) was recognized throughout the Diaspora (the world).  Jews wherever they lived would submit their religious questions to the Geonim whose answers were accepted as binding.  There was internal Jewish problems due to newly-founded sects of Issawites and Yudganites, and especially by the rise of Kasraism.  

Then by 1040, their 2 famous academies were closed and Iraq lost her central position in the Jewish world, although Geonim are recorded in Baghdad as late as the 13th century.  The Jewish leader (Exilarchate) was suspended in 1040, and then restored 2 centuries later for a short period.  

Jews suffered from restrictions laid down by Caliph Umar/Omar but weren't strictly observed by the Arab leadership.  Caliph Al-Muktadir in 908 allowed Jews to 2 state offices as physicians and bankers.  There were Jewish physicians, scientists and scholars among the Arab population. 

 Umar initially opposed Muhammad, his distant Qurayshite kinsman and later son-in-law. Following his conversion to Islam in 616, he became the first Muslim to openly pray at the Kaaba. Umar participated in almost all battles and expeditions under Muhammad, who bestowed the title al-Faruq ('the Distinguisher') upon Umar, for his judgements. After Muhammad's death in June 632, Umar pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) as the first caliph and served as the closest adviser to the latter until August 634, when the dying Abu Bakr nominated Umar as his successor.

On his orders, this 2nd Caliph ruled for 10 years and conquered Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia.  Most of the Jews were expelled from N. Arabia, and also asked for more taxation from the Jews.  Omar set up the temporary structure situated on the traditional site of Mt. Moriah before the modern Mosque of Omar was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik in 738.  

Because of heavy taxation on cultivated land, Jews left agriculture and concentrated in the larger towns, especially Baghdad, Basra and Mosul, where they mostly became traders and craftsmen.  Some were financiers or participated in international commerce.  

                        Mongol Invaders

Benjamin of Tudela visited Iraq in 1170 and reported places with up to15,000 Jewish people.  Then the Mongols invaded the land in the 2nd half of the 13th century who were free from religious prejudice, the the Jewish position of being considered 2nd class citizens (Dhimmis) improved as they were no longer discriminated against because they were Jews, and even the highest state offices were now open to them.  But....

Mongol rulers became converted to Islam!  Then they introduced those old discriminating laws.  In 1291, the Jewish administrator and physician, Saad ad-Daula, was assassinated, and this was  followed by a general attack on the Jews of Iraq.  Nobody heard from them for  several centuries.

The city of Timur was invaded at the end of the 14th century and Jews suffered along with the rest of the population, and then along come the Turks and their conquest of Iraq in 1534 which bettered everyone economically.  The Turkish domination was of the Ottoman Empire, and it didn't take much for Jews to be treated badly by them.

                                   from Zeyad al-Ahmed

Many Iraqi Jews were doctors, pharmacists and journalists. The first Hebrew newspaper in the country, Hadover (“speaker” or “spokesman”), was printed by the first Hebrew printing press, established in 1863 by Musa Baruch Mizrahi. The Jews of Iraq had an Arabic dialect of their own, and they wrote books in Judeo-Arabic, written in Hebrew letters.. 

 In 1914, the first Zionist organization was founded by Menashe Hakim, Maurice Fattal and Raphael Horesh under the name "Zionist Association of Baghdad", to promote the Zionist cause in Mesopotamia. The short-lived organization collapsed in November of that year when the Ottoman Empire declared  war on Britain.   

Jews were appointed to high government offices and some served in the Iraqi army.  In 1932, Iraq gained their independence.   and this brought out persecution of the Jews.  At the time, Jewish leaders were speaking with the League of Nations in making Palestine the Jewish Homeland.       

Rashid Ali al-Gaylani and Haj Amin al-Husseini, speaking at the anniversary of the 1941 Iraqi coup in Berlin-right.  

  Prime Minister of Iraq, Rashid Ali  He is chiefly remembered as an ardent Arab nationalist who attempted to remove the British influence from Iraq by starting a coup against the government in 1941. During his brief tenures as Prime Minister in 1940 and 1941, he attempted to negotiate settlements with the Axis powers (Hitler) during World War II in order to counter British influence in Iraq.  WWII wasn't over until 1945.   Hundreds of Baghdad Jews were killed and wounded in a pogrom during the revolt of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani in 1941.

  Iraqi troops participated in the 1948 attack on Israel on the central front. Despite their defeat, Iraq never concluded an armistice agreement with Israel.  the great majority of Iraqi Jews left the country, chiefly for Israel in Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, and their property in Iraq was confiscated, so they were left penniless.

      123,000 Iraqi Jews reached Israel since 1948.  Those that remained were subject to severe restrictions, especially after the Six Day War of 1967 when the treatment of Iraqi Jews led to international protests.  The Jewish population in 1991 was 150 who had remained, chiefly in Baghdad, where one synagogue still operates. Egyptian Jews experienced the same situation, with a few remaining to caretake the synagogue and cemeteries. 

Iraqi Jews in Israel, also known as the Bavlim (Hebrew for "Babylonians"), are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Iraqi Jewish communities, who now reside within the state of Israel. They number around 450,000.  They live mostly in Or Yehuda, Givatayim and  Kiryat Gat.                                             

 Moshe Levi, IDF Chief of Staff (Hebrew: משה לוי, April 18, 1936 – January 8, 2008) was an Israeli military commander and the 12th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). He served in this position from 1983 to 1987, towards the end of the first Lebanon war and the establishment of the South Lebanon Security Belt. He was the first Chief of Staff of Mizrahi origin.  Levi, born in Tel Aviv to an Iraqi-Jewish family, was known by his army nickname Moshe VaHetzi (Hebrew: משה וחצי ("Moshe and a half") because of his towering height, which was about 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in).  While serving as Chief of Staff and after retiring from the army, Levy lived in Kibbutz Beit Alfa in northern Israel. In his last years, he was the founding chairperson of the supervisory board of Highway 6, also known as the Trans-Israel Highway.

Resource:

Updated 7/19/22;  8/2/22

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/02/could-iraqis-have-jewish-roots.html

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashid_Ali_al-Gaylani

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Jews_in_Israel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshe_Levi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Yahudu_Tablets

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-archaeology-babylon/ancient-tablets-reveal-life-of-jews-in-nebuchadnezzars-babylon-idUSKBN0L71EK20150203

https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2013/nr13-96.html

 https://www.jns.org/opinion/iraqi-jews-share-a-deeply-rooted-heritage/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrNmWBhA4EiwAHbjEQFL1vDJM-MbFjsky1-zFvau0m6K1eX4FHPTK2vkS3b-FVaTEI8K_aRoCsS4QAvD_BwE

 

The Difference Between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims and How It Affects Me

Nadene Goldfoot                                          

          The sons of Abraham:  Ishmael and Isaac 

 The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagreement over the succession to Muhammad and subsequently acquired broader political significance, as well as theological and juridical dimensions.  Let's look at the 2 men who are being followed:                        

1. Abu Bakr:   was an Arab political and religious leader who founded the Rashidun Caliphate and ruled as its first caliph from 632 until his death in 634. He was the most prominent companion and a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Abu Bakr is one of the most important figures in Sunni Islam.  Abu Bakr was born in 573 CE to Abu Quhafa and Salma bint Sakhar. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Taym. In the Age of ignorance, he was a monotheist and condemned idol-worshipping. As a wealthy trader, Abu Bakr used to freed slaves. He was an early friend of Muhammad and often used to accompany him on trading in Syria. After Muhammad's invitation of Islam, Abu Bakr became one of the first Muslims. He extensively contributed his wealth in support of Muhammad's work and also accompanied Muhammad, on his migration to Medina.  By the invitations of Abu Bakr, many prominent Sahabis became Muslims. He remained the closest advisor to Muhammad, being present at almost all his military conflicts. In the absence of Muhammad, Abu Bakr led the prayers and expeditions.

                                                                                                                                                        

2. Ali ibn Abi Talib: was a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled as the 4th rightly guided caliph from 656 until his assassination in 661. He is the son of Abu Talib and Fatimah bint Asad, the husband of Fatima, and the father of Hasan, Husayn and Zaynab.  As a child, Muhammad took care of him. After Muhammad's invitation of his close relatives, Ali became one of the first believers in Islam at the age of about 9 to 11. He then publicly accepted his invitation on Yawm al-Inzar and Muhammad called him his brother, guardian and successor. He helped Muhammad emigrate on the night of Laylat al-Mabit, by sleeping in his place. After migrating to Medina and establishing a brotherhood pact between the Muslims, Muhammad chose him as his brother. In Medina, he was the flag bearer in most of the wars and became famous for his bravery.

 Those who followed the Prophet's closest companion (Abu Bakr) became known as Sunni (the followers of the Prophet's example – Sunnah). Those who followed the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law ('Ali) became known as Shi'a (the followers of the Party of 'Ali – Shi'atu Ali).  Both started after Mohammad, the prophet died in 632.  

Neither one was of a father to son relationship which the House of David was, and in that, there were a lot of differences among the line of descendants.

1. Sunnis: Abu Bakr and Sunni:   focus on following the Prophet’s example: Sunni Islam  is by far the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word Sunnah, referring to the behaviour of Muhammad.  According to Sunni traditions, Muhammad left no successor and the participants of the Saqifah event appointed Abu Bakr as the next-in-line (the first caliph). Likewise, the foundational alliance between Wahhabism, (Wahhabism is a term used to refer to the Islamic revivalist and fundamentalist movement within Sunni Islam which is associated with the Hanbali reformist doctrines of the Arabian scholar Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab).and the rulers of Saudi Arabia has seen Shi’a movements marginalised there.

2.  Shi'a: Cousin of Prophet:   Shi’a focus on the lineage of Muhammad’s family through a series of Imams.  Shi’as make up about 10% (approximately 162 million) of the global Muslim population and form a majority in five countries: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq.   The Shia view, which holds that Muhammad appointed his son-in-law and cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor is contrast to the majority of Muslims, the Sunnis.  The Iranian Revolution led to the rise of a Shi’a theocracy which has since supported Shi’as in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as well as supporting Hezbollah (Lebanon), Hamas (Gaza), and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Shi’a dominated governments in Iraq and Syria have committed violence against Sunni populations. Shi’a communities in Iraq have been subjected to extreme violence at the hands of the Sunni ISIS.       

              Ruhollah Khomeini, is a Shia born September 24, 1902 -died June 3, 1989,  was known in the West as "The Ayatollah"  a high ranking cleric.  Ayatollah Khomeini and his clerical disciples as its top leadership,  deposed the Pahlavi Shah and founded the Islamic Republic of Iran.     The Shah of Iran's fatal flaw was messing with the Bazaar.  

The Ayatollas  are a title showing what they have accomplished in their Shia-Muslim religion, and  are found in Iran.  It is an honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy in Iran and Iraq that came into widespread usage in the 20th century.   It is also absent in the vocabulary of Shias in Lebanon, Pakistan, and India. In Iraq, while the title is not unknown, it is only used for clerics of Iranian origin.

 Twelver Shia Muslims believe that the process of finding God's laws from the available Islamic literature will facilitate in dealing with any circumstance. They believe that they can interpret the Qur'an and the Twelver Shi'a traditions with the same authority as their predecessors. This process of ijtihad has provided a means to deal with current issues from an Islamic perspective. Generally, the Twelver Shi'a clergy have exerted much more authority in the Twelver Shi'a community than the Sunni ulema.

Usooli Shia considering it obligatory to obey a mujtahid when seeking to determine Islamically correct behavior. They believe the 12th Imam, ordered them to follow the scholars (Fuqaha) who: "...guard their soul, protect their religion, and follow the commandments of their master (Allah)..." The mujtahid they follow or emulate is known as a Marja' Taqleedi. As of 2014 there were over 60 recognized Marj in the Shia Muslim world.                           

Last President of Iran, letting us know how he feels about Israel

Iran is insidiously telling the world that they intend to rub out Israel.  It's something they can brag about to the Sunnis.  They've been making threats for a long time, and warning to telling your opponent is good form in Islamic politics. There is no reason to hate Israel other than it is the home of Jews.  They're anti-Semitic to the core with the Ayatollahs, why beats me.  We've had a long history with Persia and loved King Ahasueros;  and the late Shah.                   

Sarah and baby Isaac, Abraham, Ishmael and Hagar

                            MUHAMMAD'S FAMILY TREE 

This family tree is about the relatives of the Islamic prophet Muhammad known as a family member of the family of Hashim and the Qurayshs tribe which is ‘Adnani. 

Muhammad ibn Abdullah (570-632) Founder of the world religion of Islam; was an Arab religious, social, and political leader  According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet, divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He wrote the Qur'an when the Angel Gabriel dictated every word to him.  It was dictated to him, piecemeal during his 23 year prophetic career.                                                  

                          Hagar and Ishmael by Abraham's tent

Muhammad claimed descent from Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian handmaid,  through the Hashim tribe of Hagar. Abraham's line goes back to Noah and Shem, and Abraham's son by Sarah was Isaac.  Isaac and Ishmael were half-brothers.  He was under the impression that Jews would join his new religion.  The only Jews he knew were those living in Medina, so he really didn't know us very well, and so he adopted a hostile attitude toward the Medina Jews who were either annihilated or expelled.  One of his wives, Safia, was of Jewish origin.  Could Safia be Salma bint Amr? Could researchers had confused Najjar with Nadir?    Safiyya was born in Medina to Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Jewish tribe Banu Nadir. Her mother, Barra bint Samawal, was from the Banu Qurayza tribe. She was the granddaughter of Samaw'al ibn Adiya from the Banu Harith tribe. According to a source, she was married off to Sallam ibn Mishkam, who later divorced her.

When the Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina in 625, her family settled in Khaybar, an oasis near Medina. Her father and brother went from Khaybar to join the Meccan and Bedouin forces besieging Muhammad in Medina during the Battle of the Trench. When the Meccans withdrew Muhammad besieged the Banu Qurayza. After the defeat of the Banu Qurayza in 627 Safiyya's father, a long-time opponent of Muhammad, was captured and executed by the Muslims.  She later married Muhammad.  

 Muhammad/Mohammed also has Jewish ancestry through his great-grandmother, Salma bint Amr the mother of Abd al-Muttalib. Salma bint ‘Amr was the wife of Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf, thus the great-grandmother of Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was one of the most influential women of the Banu Khazraj tribe and the daughter of ‘Amr of Banu Najjar clan, one of the tribes in Medina. She traded and dealt with the caravans on her own behalf.  Banu in Arabic is the same as saying, the house of-descendants, of...

Before Islam, the Banu Najjar of Medina practiced notably traditional Arab polytheism, and owned idols named Samul, Husa, and at-Tamm that were destroyed after the clan converted to Islam. They may have had a tribal alliance with Jews   of Medina.  That  dosn't make them a Jewish tribe.  I can find no evidence of Salma bint Amr being Jewish.  There were three main Jewish tribes in Medina before the rise of Islam in Arabia: the Banu Nadir, the Banu Qainuqa, and the Banu Qurayza.

According to Al-Masudi the northern part of Hejaz was a dependency of the Kingdom of Judah, and according to Butrus al-Bustani the Jews in Hejaz established a sovereign state. The German orientalist Ferdinand Wüstenfeld believed that the Jews established a state in northern Hejaz.  It's all new to this Jew.  

Other Jewish tribes lived relatively peacefully under Muslim rule. Banu Nadir, the Banu Qainuqa, and the Banu Qurayza lived in northern Arabia, at the oasis of Yathrib until the 7th century, when the men were executed and the women and children were enslaved after they betrayed the pact they made with the Muslims  following the Invasion of Banu Qurayza by Muslim armies led by Muhammad.  Remember, Mohammad died in 632, the 7th century.                

  Yusuf al-Qaradawi: is a Sunni,  is an Egyptian Islamic scholar based in Doha, Qatar, and chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. Egyptians are mainly Sunnis, following Shafi'i and  Qatar is Sunni following Hanbali.   His influences include Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Qayyim, Sayyid Rashid Rida, Hassan al-Banna, Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi, Abul A'la Maududi and Naeem Siddiqui.  He hates Jews and he broadcasts this hatred over the radio and probably TV from Qatar.  Al-Qaradawi is sometimes described as a "moderate Islamist". Some of his views, such as his condoning of Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis, have caused reactions from governments in the West:  he was refused an entry visa to the United Kingdom in 2008, and barred from entering France in 2012.  He's now 95 years old, born September 9, 1926. 

 Qaradawi similarly expressed his desire to see a "conquered" Jerusalem in a January 24, 2011, fatwa in which he negated Jewish attachment to Jerusalem and stated that it is the duty of Muslims to "defend" Jerusalem with "their lives, their money and all they possess, or else they will be subject to Allah's punishment." This fatwa is part of Qaradawi's long record of inciting violence against Jews and Israel. During a sermon that aired on the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera TV on January 28, 2009, Qaradawi told his audience, "I will shoot Allah's enemies, the Jews, and they will throw a bomb at me, and thus I will seal my life with martyrdom." In another sermon on January 9, 2009, Qaradawi lashed out at Jews, including calling on God to "kill them, down to the very last one." He has also refused to dialogue with Jews. Qaradawi declined to participate in the 8th annual conference organized by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue because of the participation of Jews.  He uses Al Jazeera to spread his word.  

                                            

      Abraham, Our ancestor;  treatment of 3 strangers (who are pretty special), but this was the kind of guy Abraham was---nice, yet he could be a fighter, too, in helping his nephew, Lot.   

I'm thankful that we have the Abraham Accords.  It's to the credit of UAE and Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan (who has other problems right now) and even Kosovo,   and their Sunni population who have decided that friendship with Israel has its plus side. They're going against the tide of influence in the Middle East to step up to the plate and sign onto peace.  I'm thrilled and hope that others are, too!  

What has it accomplished?  For example, Israel and Bahrain were the first countries to mutually recognize one another’s digital COVID-19 vaccine passports, which means that people from your countries can go to restaurants and concerts when visiting each other’s countries without quarantining.

And the people of your countries are seizing the opportunity. Again, despite COVID-19, more than 130,000 Israelis visited the United Arab Emirates just in the first four and a half months after the Accords were signed. There is a hunger to learn about each other’s cultures, to see new sights, to try new foods, forge new friendships – all experiences that have been impossible for so long and for so many, and now they’re making up for lost time.

We’re seeing new economic opportunities, innovations, collaborations. The United Arab Emirates has pursued significant investments in strategic sectors in Israel, including energy, medicine, technology, healthcare. Private firms across your countries are working together on everything from desalinization to stem cell therapies. These opportunities would be exciting at any time – but they are particularly important today, as we work to build back better from the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.

The deepening diplomatic relationships also provide a foundation to tackle challenges that demand cooperation among nations, like reducing regional tensions, combating terrorism, mitigating the impact of the climate crisis.

And we all must build on these relationships and growing normalization to make tangible improvements in the lives of Palestinians, and to make progress toward the longstanding goal of advancing a negotiated peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal measures of freedom, security, opportunity, and dignity. (Maybe the Palestinians will watch this example and realize they've missed the boat this past 73 years.  Maybe they will decide it's a good idea?) 

This administration will continue to build on the successful efforts of the last administration to keep normalization marching forward. We’ll do that in three main ways.

First, we’ll help foster Israel’s growing ties with Bahrain, with Morocco, with the United Arab Emirates – as well as with Sudan, which has also signed the Abraham Accords, and Kosovo, which established ties with Israel at the beginning of the year.

Second, we’ll work to deepen Israel’s longstanding relationships with Egypt and Jordan – partners critical to the United States, Israel, and Palestinians alike.

It was 43 years ago today that Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accords, and next month will mark 27 years since Israel and Jordan signed the Wadi Araba Treaty.

The visit to Cairo this week by Prime Minister Bennett to meet with President Sisi – the first trip at this level in over a decade – and the negotiations between Israel and Jordan around new agreements on water and trade show how these relationships continue to build on the trailblazing agreements signed decades ago.

And third, we will encourage more countries to follow the lead of the Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. We want to widen the circle of peaceful diplomacy, because it’s in the interests of countries across the region and around the world for Israel to be treated like any other country. Normalization leads to greater stability, more cooperation, mutual progress – all things the region and the world need very badly right now.

Let me close by bringing us back to the primary beneficiaries of normalization: people across borders whose lives will be improved by these new possibilities.                           

                        Tel Aviv             

Abdulla Baqer is an investor who co-leads the newly created UAE-Israel Business Council. He wants to spend a month in Israel to learn more about its people and culture, so that he can better connect entrepreneurs in the two countries. He says, and I quote, “Everything is possible if we sit together and have a dialogue and understand each other.”                                         

Ebrahim Nonoo is the head of the Jewish community in Bahrain. Just last month, he led Shabbat services in a synagogue for the first time in 74 years – making Jewish life visible in Bahrain for the first time in generations.                                   

                    

            And so many people are eager to rekindle longstanding connections that had been cut off – until now. More than a million Israelis have Moroccan heritage, including five ministers in Israel’s current government. How meaningful it will be for more Israelis of Moroccan descent to travel back and forth between the two countries, rediscover cultural ties, and pass them on.

The 2020 World Expo was delayed by COVID-19, but it will soon open in Dubai. The Abraham Accords had not yet been signed when Israel’s pavilion was first conceived. It consists of seven consecutive free-standing gates – no walls, completely open. Across the final gate is a giant sign that reads, “For Tomorrow,” in a script that combines Arabic and Hebrew letters.

What an apt metaphor for the new horizons that open when countries are no longer closed to each other.

Thanks to the countries here today, others who have joined, and the people forging ties between these nations, that vision is becoming a reality. May it be a model for others to follow.

Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia

https://crestresearch.ac.uk/comment/whats-difference-sunni-shia-muslims/#:~:text=Those%20who%20followed%20the%20Prophet's,%E2%80%93%20Shi'atu%20Ali).

https://crestresearch.ac.uk/comment/whats-difference-sunni-shia-muslims/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salma_bint_Amr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Saudi_Arabia#:~:text=There%20were%20three%20main%20Jewish,Qainuqa%2C%20and%20the%20Banu%20Qurayza.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banu_Najjar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Bakr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safiyya_bint_Huyayy

https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/anti-semitism/arab-world/Sheik-Yusuf-al-Qaradawi-2013-5-3-v1.pdf