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The fight to recognise the Jews who fled from Arab countries

One-time Egyptian refugee Levana Zamir discusses compensation as a tool towards peace

December 8, 2019 07:27
Levana Zamir

BySandy Rashty, SAndy Rashty

3 min read

An Egyptian-born Jewish activist has called for greater recognition of Jews from Arab countries, saying that compensation for those forced to flee their homes could help bring peace to the region.

Levana Zamir, who fled her home in Cairo in 1948 aged 10, is now working with Israeli authorities to increase international awareness of the issue.

“I have been working on this for 20 years, going to the Knesset and asking for recognition,” she said.

“And it’s not only me; we are all working together — the Iraqi Jews, the Syrian Jews, the Libyan and Yemenite. Now that we have recognition of [our story] in Israel and all over the world, now we want an international fund to be established for Arab and Jewish refugees.”