Uprooted: How 3000 Years of Jewish Civilization in the Arab World Vanished Overnight

by Lyn Julius

Who are the Jews from Arab countries? What were relations with Muslims like? What made Jews leave countries where they had been settled for thousands of years? What lessons can we learn from the mass exodus of minorities from the Middle East? Lyn Julius undertakes to answer all these questions and more in Uprooted, the culmination of 10 years of work studying these issues. Jews lived continuously in the Middle East and North Africa for almost 3,000 years. Yet, in just 50 years, their indigenous communities outside Palestine almost totally disappeared as more than 99 percent of the Jewish population fled. Those with foreign passports and connections generally left for Europe, Australia or the Americas. Some 650,000, including a minority of ideological Zionists, went to Israel. Before the Holocaust they constituted 10 percent of the world s Jewish population, and now over 50 percent of Israel s Jews are refugees from Arab and Muslim countries, or their descendants. This same process is now repeating in Christian and other minority communities across the Middle East. The book also assesses how well these Jews have integrated into Israel and how their struggles have been politicised. It charts the growing clamour for recognition, redress and memorialisation for these Jewish refugees, and looks at how their cause can contribute to peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Muslim world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Jewish, Israel, Middle East, Judaism, Antisemitism

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, I'll round up because I do think this is a critical subject.

So much of Jewish history is unknown or misunderstood. I really wanted to like this book because those 3,000 years of Jewish civilization matter. It is unbelievable to think about how so much has been lost, gone, will likely never return. It should be common knowledge that most Israelis come from a Mizrahi background, yet it is not.

However, this book was unfortunately not written in the most accessible manner. It felt like ideas repeated themselves, it wasn't clear what each chapter was meant to achieve and as a whole, at times Julius' (rightful) rage made it hard to really learn about the history. I wanted to love this book but I'm afraid I struggled so much to finish it that I'm not sure I'd easily recommend it to others.

Then again, I'm not sure who else has written about this and really, this is the sort of history that should be known.

What I'm Taking With Me
- I read a lot of this book when I was living in Korea and it reminded me of how attached I feel to my people
- the pictures throughout this book were a highlight
- also, the debate on reparation is fascinating
- i'm also not a fan of using the term "nakba" for this expulsion- we don't need to steal palestinian collective memorial words for our own traumas, especially when it seems aimed at undermining them

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the least widely understood topic in the Israeli-Arab conflict, and the key to understanding it. Best book I've read devoted to this subject.

[Taams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the important history of Jews from Arab countries, and the story of their mass exodus. This is an overlooked history that I, and many others, had never been taught. Their story is almost never told, being overshadowed by the stories of Jews from European countries. Nevertheless, more than half of the Jewish population of Israel directly descended from the Jews who immigrated from Arab countries and their story deserves to be heard. Especially in light of the narrative of "Israël as (white) colonizer", the fact that half of the Israeli Jews descend directly from the region and not from Europe is a necessary fact to counter the misinformation on the internet.

[Amr Abouseif · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is biased and one-sided though, but that is something expected as Julius is a second-generation Israeli jew. The author seems to argue that Palestinians are paying for what she sees as anti-semitism by other Muslims since the 20th century.

I appreciate much of the enlightening information mentioned in this book such as the introduction of religion on Egyptian National ID cards in 1959 to facilitate the persecution of Egyptian jews. That sounds legit to me, as no explanation for that change was ever provided by the Egyptian side.

On the other hand, the book is full of mistakes. I assume the majority of them were due to Julius's perspective of Muslims and Arabs as nothing but enemies. A screaming example of such bias is Julius's claim that Muslims want to take on the people of Saturday (the jews) followed by the people of Sunday (Christians). Julius used a simple Arabic saying with no mention of religions or violence whatsoever to support her claim and even named an entire chapter after this saying. As a native Arabic speaker, I can not describe this claim as anything but a lie that can only be convincing for non-Arabic speakers.

Other mistakes were less intentional though, such as describing Ali as the 4th Imam while he was actually the 4th Khalifa and the 1st Imam, and claiming that Canada's embassy in Cairo is hosted in the house of a former Egyptian jew. I know very well where Canada's embassy is and it is easy for anyone to check that on google maps and realise that this is simply not true.

In the end, I appreciate the author's effort in bringing to the light on such an important issue as Mizrahims. It is a book worth reading for sure.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning, shocking, enlightening .... an absolute must. It will give the reader a new, little mentioned and known perspective on the global plague of anti- semitism, a new and deeper understanding of the complicated Israeli- Palestinian conflict.
BUT - not easy to read, not written as a story but as a historical document that spews out fact after fact after fact, jumping from Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Egypt , Tunesia, Libya, Morocco and back for mother round...... made my head spin! But the depth of knowledge gained was immeasurable.
If you are patient and have the thirst for knowledge... go for it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dense history, requiring patience and time to get through. There is so much to think about.
Spot on discussion of current issues vis-a-vis Israel and the Arab world, and how the world frames the "Palestinian" issues.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyn Julius’s Uprooted is a historically and politically charged account of the mass displacement of Jews from Arab countries in the mid-twentieth century. Drawing on archival sources, oral testimonies, and personal family history, Julius documents how ancient Jewish communities across the Middle East and North Africa were dismantled in the decades following the establishment of the State of Israel.

The book’s central intervention lies in its challenge to narratives that focus almost exclusively on Palestinian displacement in 1948, arguing instead for recognition of a parallel and largely neglected refugee experience.

Julius frames the departure of Jews from Arab lands as a regional upheaval rather than a series of isolated migrations. From Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and beyond, Jewish populations that had existed for centuries—often millennia—declined rapidly between the late 1940s and the 1970s.

While the circumstances varied by country, Julius contends that these departures were driven by a combination of legal discrimination, political repression, violence, and economic marginalisation that intensified in the wake of the Arab–Israeli conflict.

A key strength of Uprooted is its emphasis on historical continuity. Julius reminds readers that Jewish presence in Arab lands long predated Islam, colonialism, and modern nationalism. By foregrounding this longevity, the book underscores the scale of loss involved—not only of populations, but also of languages, cultural practices, and communal institutions.

Synagogues, schools, and marketplaces that once formed integral parts of Arab cities were abandoned, repurposed, or erased.

The book also addresses the legal mechanisms that facilitated Jewish displacement. Julius documents citizenship revocations, property confiscations, travel restrictions, and discriminatory legislation enacted in several A

rab states. These policies, she argues, created conditions in which Jewish life became increasingly precarious, leaving migration as the only viable option for many families. In this respect, Uprooted aligns with scholarship that emphasises state action rather than voluntary migration as a key driver of Jewish departure.

Importantly, Julius does not claim that Jewish experiences across Arab countries were uniform. She acknowledges variation in timing, intensity, and local context. For example, Jews in Morocco and Tunisia experienced comparatively less violence than those in Iraq or Libya, and in some cases, departures unfolded gradually rather than abruptly. However, Julius maintains that the cumulative effect across the region amounted to a systemic unravelling of Jewish life in Arab societies.

One of the most contested aspects of Uprooted is its political framing. Julius explicitly situates Jewish displacement within debates over refugee recognition and historical responsibility in the Arab–Israeli conflict.

She challenges what she sees as an imbalance in international discourse, in which Palestinian refugees receive global recognition while Jewish refugees from Arab countries remain marginal or invisible. In doing so, the book implicitly invites comparison between the two refugee populations.

Critics argue that this framing risks instrumentalising Jewish suffering as a counterweight to Palestinian dispossession, potentially reinforcing zero-sum narratives.

Some scholars contend that the comparison obscures important differences in scale, legal status, and outcomes, particularly given that many Jewish refugees were absorbed into Israel or Western countries and granted citizenship, while Palestinian refugees remain stateless.

Others question the extent to which Zionist mobilisation and Israeli state-building contributed to Jewish emigration, suggesting that the book underplays these factors.

These criticisms point to genuine limitations in the book’s interpretive balance. At times, Uprooted adopts a tone of advocacy rather than detached analysis, particularly when addressing international institutions and media narratives.

Nonetheless, dismissing the work on these grounds alone would overlook its substantial contribution. Julius brings together a wide range of documentation that had previously been scattered, untranslated, or underutilised, offering readers a coherent account of a largely neglected historical phenomenon.

One of the book’s most valuable contributions is its attention to memory and erasure. Julius argues that the marginalisation of Jewish displacement from Arab lands reflects broader patterns in how Middle Eastern history is narrated, often privileging certain experiences while silencing others.

By recovering these stories, Uprooted complicates simplified binaries of coloniser and colonised, victim and perpetrator, reminding readers that the region’s twentieth-century upheavals produced multiple, overlapping forms of loss.

The book also raises important questions about integration and outcome. Unlike Palestinian refugees, most Jewish refugees from Arab countries were ultimately absorbed into new national frameworks, particularly in Israel.

Julius acknowledges the difficulties of this integration, including discrimination faced by Mizrahi Jews within Israeli society, but emphasises that absorption nonetheless prevented the perpetuation of statelessness. This contrast invites reflection on how different political systems respond to displacement and how refugee status is shaped by state capacity and ideology.

Stylistically, Uprooted is accessible and narrative-driven, making it suitable for general readers as well as students. Its use of personal stories humanises historical processes, though this narrative approach occasionally blurs the line between evidence and interpretation. For academic readers, the book is best read alongside more structural analyses of nationalism, colonialism, and migration.

In sum, Uprooted is a significant and challenging contribution to debates about displacement, memory, and justice in the Middle East.

While its political framing invites scrutiny and demands critical engagement, its recovery of neglected histories is undeniably valuable.

By documenting the disappearance of Jewish communities from Arab lands, Julius broadens understanding of regional upheaval and underscores the need for more inclusive and multidirectional approaches to refugee history.

Most recommended.

[Oren Mizrahi · Rating 3 out of 5]

disorganized and one sided but covering aspects of history seldomly explored. the book is not really written like a history book and it shouldn’t be considered as such.

uprooted is among the more “right-leaning” books on jewish history i have read. julius shows a hilarious contempt for leftism, postmodernism, leftist professors, and foucalt (lmao). she has reason to, and she explores examples in the book but too often this comes across as painting revisionist history, like the good and important work of benny morris, with a broad (negative) brush.

the book is haphazardly organized and ends up being repetitive and basic. most people reading uprooted are probably familiar with a lot of the history covered, making it a bit disappointing that julius spent so much of the book covering basic facts and political positions.

appreciated was the inclusion of many esoteric sources on mizrahi jewish history, anecdotes, and refugee stories. and all the cool photos! these added lots of “color” to the story.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author describes the expulsions of large numbers of Jews from their ancient and well-established communities in Egypt, Iraq, and other countries mostly as a reaction to the establishment of Israel after World War II. Others have written about this, particularly André Aciman, who was born in Egypt in 1951, and whose family was one of the many who eventually lost their property, possessions, money and identity after the Egyptian government was taken over by Nasser in the late 1950s, though they hung on longer than many others.

Julius's book is well-documented, both chapter by chapter, and following the main text. Reading it induces both sadness and anger, but increases understanding of historic events that most of the world knows little of.

[Perlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to Lyn Julius for writing a book that is crystal clear, incisive, and well researched. This was a great overview of the world of Jews in Arab/Muslim countries, that digs into terminology, confronts myths head-on, and puts paid to a lot of claptrap that passes for 'human rights'. I also like that she addresses the flaws of how Mizrachi Jews were absorbed in Israel, while also pointing out the options. Her thinking is right on, and she sees through the mess to the truth. Highly recommend!

[alan davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on a subject that is still rarely understood in the West. I discussed it with Palestinian friends who actually ridiculed the facts as their schooling had completely missed this history for political reasons.,
Only when true history is apparent to all can compromise and peace be reached with equanimity precluding the necessity of war.
Therefore this book should be read and disseminated widely.,

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long hidden information

This is an important book. It provides long misunderstood and deleted history about the Jews who lived in the Middle East for over 3,000 years and were forced to flee or were expelled. Many left penniless because their businesses, homes and bank accounts were taken by the governments that expelled them. 850,000 refugees that no one talks about.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sehr interessante Information, aber manchmal legte die Autorin mehr Wert darauf ihre eigene Meinung zu verbreiten als sich auf die historische Analyse zu konzentrieren.
Außerdem wurden für ein Sachbuch vergleichsweise wenig Quellen verwendet.

[Bonnie Baum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I learned so much

[Armin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent insights into a little-known (suppressed) situation.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most important books I’ve ever read.