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August 06, 2006

Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands

This comes courtesy of Naomi Ragen

Ms. Ragen,

I commend you on your integrity towards Israel.

My parents and I are Jewish. My mother and I were born in Egypt and while the political situation was worsening, my father, who was an eternal optimist, believed everything would get better.

Well after the June 1967 war, we were thrown out of Egypt, with 10 Egyptian pounds each (evidence is in each of our passports). Our property, business, bank accounts, jewelry, in short all that we owned was taken away from us.

We ended up in a refugee camp in Naples, from which we started the proceedings to apply for a visa to the US.

We were given rigorous physical tests, had to prove that someone (my aunt) would guarantee our stay and that we would not be a burden to the American government.

After seven months, we were granted the visas and started our lives in the most wonderful, free country in the world.

We worked our way up, never applying to any Medicaid, food stamps or anything. Even though my mother, always known as the woman of steel, had a nervous breakdown at the thought of having left her country of birth penniless, we managed to survive on my initial salary of $90.00 per week for all three of us.

We did not bomb innocent people, we did not get money or goods from the UN. I would actually purchase Pepsodent, Camay, Cadum, Scott Tissue, etc. on the streets of Cairo.

Those were clearly marked "from the UN for the Palestinians".

Arabs steal from Arabs. Arabs do not help each other. The ones who live in the Gaza squalor could have bettered themselves with or without the help of the millions of their bretherens, some who are billionaires. Instead, hate for the Jews is propagated from kindergarten.

Even when I was growing up in Cairo, my books denied the existence of Israel and defined all Jews as the enemy. Iran gives $25,000 to the family of a terrorist who straps himself/herself to a bomb and murders innocent civilians of all ages.

Of all the horrors that I have read, seen on TV, I shall never forget the interview with an Arab woman whose son had caused such havoc when he blew himself up and took with him Israeli children, and adults. She said:
"I have seven other sons who will do the same thing and I am proud of each one of them"

As a woman, a Jew, a mother, I was repulsed, disgusted, dismayed and thoroughly bewildered.

Sorry to have gone into a diatribe, but the inequity which exists in the world, the hatred toward a small state that has flourished, keeps inventing medical breakthroughs, and wants to leave peacefully revolts me daily.

Please continue your good work for Israel. We are all human beings and deserve better than to be inhumane.

Viviane Franco Koenig
New York

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at August 6, 2006 09:27 AM

Comments

Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.

1. No profanity.

2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism.

That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.

Posted by: cruisin-mom at August 6, 2006 10:39 AM

Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at August 6, 2006 10:44 AM

Posted by: cruisin-mom at August 6, 2006 11:10 AM

Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at August 6, 2006 11:42 AM

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