המלך פארוק - מלחמת העולם השניה והמלחמה נגד ישראל 1948 (אנ')

King Farouk - World War II - The 1948 war against Israel 3 / Farouk became king at the age of 16 years. He was licentious and corrupt. During his rule, 5 factors enhanced Xenophobia and antijewish feelings: 1- The presence of thousands of British soldiers, especially in World War II 2- Increased islamic feelings 3- German propaganda and its influence on the public, the Army, and the government 4- Arab-jewish revolt in Palestine 5- The higher Economic conditions of foreigners, including Jews. With World War II, Egypt became completely under British controle, in accordance with the Treaty of 1936. Lord Moyne was a minister stationed in Egypt. Already in 1933, Egyptian Jews were alerted by the cruelty of Nazis or European Jews. Manifestations and an assembly at the great Synagogue and the foundation of LICA were organized by Rav Nahoum and the leaders of the Community. Rav Nahoum became blind in 1938. He stopped his historical researches But he continued to of serve, helped by the Dayanim and his staff. His influence was impressive as Chief Rabbi, with the government, the British and the diplomats. On World War II nightly bombing occurred in Alexandria. Officers of the Egyptian Army planned to fight together with the Germans. Prime Minister Ali Maher was arrested by the British, as were officers of the Army, including Anwar Sadat. When Romel reached El Alamein, Rav Nahoum cared for thousands of Jews from Alexandria in schools and Synagogues, in Cairo. Dr Moshe Ventura Dr Moshe Ventura united the Abbasid Sephardic and Ashkenazy Jews of Alexandria in one strong community. He was patient, and not dogmatic. He refused "Presents" and "Protection". As a dayan, he is a judge, and cannot accept presents. According to him, what a person needs is education. It is useless to give money to the poor. He has to learn, and be able to earn his living by himself. Jewish education is to be given to non practicing Jews. He encouraged Zionism, and 4 of his children were in Zionist movement. He was supported by the youth and the middle class, and the poors. His opinions and beliefs were expressed in his sermons. For the adults, he tried to influence them, to diminish tension between social classes. Jewish students of Jewish and non Jewish schools came to his teaching. In 1944 he founded a secondary Jewish school "Maimonides", the only of its type in Egypt. With its high standards of education, this school gave school high teachers, doctors and scientists in Israel. The late Shmuel Azar from Cairo, and the late Elie Cohen from Damascus and Robert Jassa were students of Rav Ventura. In 1942 in an assembly at the great Synagogue Rav Ventura called [in French] for the United Nations, Moslem and Christian nations to come to help for our brothers who were murdered in the Shoah "before it becomes too late" In 1947 the council of the community pressed on Rav Ventura to issue a declaration that his community dissociates from Zionism. He refused to do so. After frank discussions of all items : education, Judaism as against europeanisation, democracy, and Zionism, he agreed to resign. Most of the members of the council resigned too. New election were decided. Rav Moshe Ventura resigned in January 1948. He was expelled from Egypt on the 17th of May 1948, because of Zionist activities. Rav Ventura was an educator, and a Zionist. He was a lecturer in philosophy at the Alexandria University. He translated to French - and modern Hebrew the works of Maimonides, and Al Kuzari. In France and Egypt he published many works, and a monthly periodic in Hebrew and French. All his works were on Jewish faith, philosophy, psychology, education, a summary 6 Rav Nahoum prepared, for the British, a list of Jewish personalities, who were either involved with the British or were Zionist leaders, to be transferred to Palestine, by a special train. Jewish soldiers of the British army came to Egypt with World War II, and with them the Selichim from the Yeshiva who strengthened the Zionist youth movements. The period of Farouk was a period of Riots and anti British and anti-Jewish attacks. On the Balfour day of 1945 (2 of November), and the day after, anti-Jewish attacks occured, on the Jewish quarter, Jewish shops and the Ashkenazy Synagogue was burned. - The day before Rav Nahoum alerted the Prime Minister, El Nokrashi reassured the chief Rabbi and asked the Jews to open their shops & yet Rav Nahoum ordered the Jews to remain at home. The king received Rav Nahoum on the 4th of November. And on the 6th a letter of protestation was given to the Prime Minister; "These attacks on Jews, desecration of the Synagogue and rampage of shops, alarm the community, the organizers of these riots expected to cause tragedies similar to those caused by the Germans." The Arab League was founded in 1945, encouraged by the British. In 1947, the situation worsened. The Jewish state was being created. "The Company law", by which, over a period of 2 years, 90% of workers, and 75% of clerks of every enterprise had to be of Egyptian Nationality, Jews of the middle class and the poor understood that they will not find a source of living. To reassure the Chief Rabbi, El Nokrashi promised that he will allow easy nationalisation for Jews. The Prime Minister did not keep his promise. With the war of 1948 Jews were arrested and put in camps & prisons, communists, and rich Jews, - and their properties sequestrated. Expulsion in the Jewish quarter and out of it, attacks on Jews and on foreigners, murders of Prime Ministers, and riots continued till the Black Saturday of the "Burning of Cairo" on the 26th of January 1952. The king directed the dissatisfaction of the population towards foreigners and Jews. The leaders of the youth movements became the leaders of the Jewish community, organizing Abboud Abijah, which was the only obvious solution. In 1952 The "Officers' Revolution" occured, and King Farouk resigned. German officers from the Nazi army were placed in all security Army, and propaganda egyptian positions. Yet the junta respected and feared the influence of Rav Nahoum. Naguib as a president tried to rule through good will with the minorities. On his visit in the great Synagogue on Yom Kippur, he declared "I know only brothers Moslem, christian and Jews, all equal by law". He visited Jewish institutions, Naguib behaved as a friend of the Jews. In 1953, Sheik El Bakari, minister of Wakf, declared that Jews were "pigs". Naguib ordered him to apologise to Rav Nahoum. El Bakary proposed to apologise by phone. Naguib ordered him to go to Rav Nahoum and apologise directly, directly. Naguib's Period calmed the fears of the Jews. The Israeli Foreign Office estimated that there will be more security to Egyptian Jews. Yet, in a letter to Emile Naffar (an Egyptian Zionist activist who became a diplomat at the Israeli of Israel in Paris) Nahoum estimated that Jews were not in security. A mood of revenge existed between the intellectuals and the universities. 8 after the defeat of the Egyptian Army. Naguib was expulsed, and Abdel Nasser became the ruler of Egypt. Nasser! The condition of Jews worsened. He caused the community was under supervision. He was forbidden to use the properties of the community to care for schools, hospital, old people home, and help to the poors. Attacks in the but he did not receive him. Rav Nahoum decided to resign. the heavy pressure of the Community and of the Egyptian authorities prevented him from resigning. In 1956 the jurist Felix Benzakein who was an Egyptian patriot who fought the Wafdist party against Britain was arrested although in 1948 he was not arrested, Rav Nahoum obtained his release. Rav Nahoum was not healthy and was blind. A room was kept ready for him in the Jewish Hospital. Rav Nahoum hospitalised himself every time he was asked to issue an antisemist declaration. He also refused to pray for the victory of the Egyptian army against Israel. In 1960 he was 88 years of age and very sick. On his doctors advice he wanted to resign. After treatment in France he decided not to resign. He arrived to Cairo to be with his community during the holy days of Tishri. As he used to do always, he was Hazan for Mossaf prayer on Rosh Hashana. At the end of the prayer he fainted amongst his community. He died on the 14th of November 1960. At his funerals thousands of Jews and non Jews, and delegates of Nasser went after him. He was buried at the sounds of the Shofar. He served in a crucial position in Egypt, in the golden period, and in the difficult times when his three community lived as a threatened community inside a nation where the British were present, and which was defeated by Israel. (during Farouk, Naguib and Nasser.) He succeeded to keep a double allegiance to his community and to the State, and was not expelled from Egypt with birth of the Jewish State.