Many Ambassadors and embassy staff participated in a conference marking "The Memorial day to mark the Expulsion and Deportation of Jews from Arab lands and Iran". It was held at The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or-Yehuda
The conference was attended by the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Martin Mwanambale, Ambassador of Zambia; Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Waruna Wilpatha; Ambassador of Croatia, Mrs. Vesela Mtdn Korac; Ambassador of Rwanda, James Gatera; Ambassador of Belarus, Evgeny Vorobyev; Ambassador of Slovakia, Igor Mauks, Minister Sergio Acosta from the Honduras embassy, and other ambassadors and corps members from India, Nepal, Thailand Guatemala, Honduras, Switzerland, Kosovo, Hungary, Serbia, Turkey, and the UN Regiment
The event was opened by Deputy Foreign Minister, Idan Roll, who reviewed the immigration of Arab Jews to Israel in the 1950s, after they became refugees in their homeland and nationalized by Arab governments. He said that the trauma of the refugees because of the destruction of culture and synagogues continues to this day. "I know the Iraqi culture and heritage from my spouse's grandmother" he said
The conference included lectures, videos, art performances, and guided tours in the museum inside the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center. The conference program was prepared by the director of the Museum of Babylonian Jewry, Mrs. Aliza Hamama, who agreed to host the conference, with the director of the Yemenite Jewish Museum, Mr. Hanania Koresh, and the Organization of Iranians Jews in Israel
Jewish writers and cultural figures originally from Arab countries were invited to present the life of Jews in Arab countries before the establishment of the state of Israel, and the deportation, as well as their life in Israel and the difficulties of absorption
Mrs. Lydia Sasson reviewed the history of her family in Baghdad, and the restrictions on movement that the Iraqis authorities imposed on the Jews, including the imprisonment of her father who was accused of being a "Zionist spy" by the Ba'ath regime. Her story especially about her mother begging for Saddam Hussein's mercy, was moving and touching, and the ambassadors were captivated by her presentation
The author Mrs. Sarah Aharoni of Iranian descent talked about Jewish families in Persia
A short film about the Heritage of Yemenite Jewry was screened, and the waves of immigration to Israel from the 16th century until "Operation Magic Carpet" after the establishment of the state. The film was exciting, but special excitement erupted when a representative of the Kosovo embassy, Mr. Meni Dahari, suddenly recognized his own parents in that video
A Yemeni dance troupe "In the Streets of Yemen" performed folkloric dances, to the sounds of music from the songs of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. The ambassadors seemed to be enthusiastic about the Yemeni dances, and they joined in with rhythmic applause to accompany the music and the dancers
The guests were impressed by the guided tours through the exhibitions in the museum, reflecting the culture and heritage of the Jewish community in Babylon since the exile from the Kingdom of Judah 2600 years ago and in recent centuries. The exhibition includes a replica of a typical alley in the Jewish quarter of Baghdad, a courtyard of a Jewish home, a kitchen, bedrooms with typical furniture. A special exhibition is dedicated to the immigrants to Israel and the difficulties of living in transit camps, where the Iraqi Jews lived in tents, wooden and tin huts.
The event ended with a gala lunch with the best of authentic Iraqi cuisine. The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Israel, Ambassador of Zambia, Martin Mwanambale, concluded by saying that this seminar revealed new aspects that he had never known in Israeli history, so he was happy to participate and learn more about Israel in experiential way
