Libyan Pogrom Survivor Sees Parallels to October 7th Atrocities
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
A 91-year-old survivor of the 1945 pogrom in Libya, Mordechai Ben-Yair, stated that the brutality and the world's indifference during that event are identical to the October 7th Hamas attacks. He criticized the British authorities' inaction then and draws parallels to current events, also questioning the Israeli legal system's treatment of terrorists versus soldiers.
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- Libyan pogrom survivor sees parallels between 1945 violence and October 7th.
- He criticizes the inaction of British authorities in 1945.
- Survivor expresses deep distrust of neighbors following the pogrom.
- He questions the Israeli legal system's handling of terrorists.
Mordechai Ben-Yair, a 91-year-old survivor of the 1945 pogrom against Jews in Libya, has drawn stark parallels between the brutality he witnessed as a child and the atrocities of the October 7th Hamas attacks. Recounting the events of November 2, 1945, Ben-Yair described a scene of widespread violence where Arab mobs attacked Jewish residents. He recalled hiding with his family on rooftops, witnessing horrific acts, including the beating death of a Jew in the street, and seeing injured individuals being treated primitively at a local club.
Ben-Yair's family, along with his uncle's, fled their homes as two of his father's shops were looted and burned. He noted the inaction of a British soldier observing the violence and the subsequent house arrest imposed on Jewish soldiers who might have intervened. The pogrom, which lasted four days, resulted in the deaths of 140 Jews, with bodies reportedly mutilated beyond recognition. Ben-Yair criticized the British police for their minimal intervention, suggesting they may have tacitly allowed the events to unfold.
He also shared memories of the destruction of his synagogue, its prayer shawls stained with blood, and the murder of neighbors by those they had previously hosted. Ben-Yair expressed a deep-seated lack of trust in Muslims, stating that if neighbors can turn on each other with such violence, no trust can remain. He contrasted this with the pogroms in Hebron, where some Arab families reportedly saved Jews, a phenomenon he did not witness in 1945.
Ben-Yair extended his critique to the Israeli legal system, particularly concerning the prosecution of soldiers and the pardoning of terrorists. He questioned the logic of prosecuting individuals who act against terrorists, citing the example of Holocaust survivors who retaliated against their captors. He argued that the current legal framework unfairly protects terrorists, denying victims the right to self-defense, and quoted Bialik, saying, 'If this is the law, may its throne be uprooted forever.'