Six-Day War had far-ranging impact across many countries and for many Jews

Congratulations on your Six-Day War supplement. Allow me to point out, however, that your coverage omits one significant aspect: the war’s catastrophic impact on the remaining Jewish communities in Arab countries.

Popular anger at the humiliating Arab defeat by Israel was turned against local Jews. There were mass demonstrations in almost all Arab countries as Jewish citizens were taken for Israelis.

Jews were arrested in Morocco on fabricated charges. In Tunisia, a mob set fire to Jewish businesses and to the great synagogue in Tunis. In Aden, where the Jewish school was burnt down, and in Libya, where 18 Jews were killed, violent riots caused the remnant Jewish communities to be evacuated for their own safety.

In Egypt, 400 male Jews were imprisoned as “Israeli PoWs”. Some were tortured and abused for up to three years. In Iraq, the government launched a witch-hunt accusing Jews of being Zionist spies. Show trials culminated in the execution of nine Jews on 27 January 1969 and the disappearance of dozens of others.

Half-a-million Iraqis came to celebrate the hangings in Baghdad’s main square.

All in all, the Six-Day War ushered in a period of unprecedented repression and terror and hastened the demise of ancient, pre-Islamic communities.

In Morocco and Tunisia numbers have drastically diminished.

Elsewhere in the Arab world, Jews are today either extinct, or can be counted on the fingers of one or two hands.

Mrs Lyn Julius

Harif , UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa

London SW5

There is a small post-script to your coverage of the Six-Day War. In late May, all the Jewish Youth Organisations came together and worked to provide whatever support we were able, in particular, gathering blankets and medical supplies in three vast storage facilities.

When hostilities ceased Awraham, now Rabbi, Soetendorp and myself approached the Consul-General, Ra’anan Sivan, to suggest that since the six-day victory had seemingly miraculously left few Israeli casualties, we should like the supplies to be distributed among the Palestinians, who had been left with so many wounded.

The Consul-General was enthusiastic and said he would immediately wire Jerusalem and that we should return the next day for the answer.

When we did so, he regretted to tell us that the response had been negative on the grounds that it might be construed as an admission of guilt suggesting that Israel had been responsible for the war.

That moment confirmed for both Awraham and myself that we were to be rabbis and not politicians.

Jeffrey Newman

Emeritus Rabbi Finchley Reform Synagogue www.frsonline.org

However much we rejoice on the 50th anniversary of Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War, I feel a tinge of sadness because it was the last time that Israel unequivocally won a war. Every war since then has ended either in stalemate or a very short-lived victory as in the First Lebanon War.

Israel needs to relearn to win wars and establish deterrence, not just to “manage” a stalemate until the next war breaks out. To quote US General Douglas Macarthur who fought the Korean War to stalemate “in war there is no substitute for victory”.

J Fluss

London NW4