Leading refugee advocates receive awards in Israel

The 30 November events to remember Jewish refugees from Arab countries and Iran kicked off yesterday in Israel with a presentation to two leading advocates, one in Israel and one in the diaspora.  

 Levana Zamir presents the Ot Kavod award to Gina Waldman

A packed auditorium of
more than 250 people at the Tel Aviv Cinemateque watched Levana Zamir, president of the Coalition of Organisations
of Jews from Arab Countries present the organisation’s annual Ot
Kavod award to Nissim Zeev and Gina-Bublil-Waldman.

 Member of Knesset Rav Nissim Zeev won the award for initiating  the bill to secure, for the first time ever in Israel, the right of  Jewish Refugees to
compensation. The law was passed in February 2010 by the Knesset. This bill created an unstoppable  momentum,  leading to other Knesset bills and  educational programmes at schools all over Israel.

 Levana Zamir presenting the award to Nissim Zeev

Gina Bublil-Waldman, President of JIMENA – Jews Indigenous
to the Middle-East and North Africa,  received the award for her long and relentless work for the
recognition of Jewish refugees and her  work today of hasbara
in  more than 200 universities and
campuses across the United States. Her campaign explains the history and tragedy of
almost million Jewish Refugees who were expelled or compelled to flee,
leaving behind not only their assets, but their own identity as indigenous
Jews born and living in this region for millennia.

This prestigious and moving event was held
under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Equality, headed by Minister Gila
Gamliel, as well as the Ben-Zvi Institute headed by Prof. Eyal Ginio and the Ministry of
Education.

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To close,  a documentary movie of 40 minutes, produced by the Coalition of Organisations
of Jews from Arab Countries, was screened for the first time, to illustrate the whole history and tragedy of the exodus of indigenous Jews from seven Arab and Islamic countries. Two-thirds of them made Aliya, helped to build and develop
the State of Israel, and  today comprise more than 50% of the Jewish
population in Israel.