Egyptian Jewry and Zionism

The approximately 60,000 Jews prospered between 1937-1948. Jews were active in the fight against Hitler and antisemitism. They upheld the boycott of German products and stopped working for German companies, many Jews joined Zionist movements, they had a Zionist newspaper. A Jewish family founded, together with Yaakov and some Arab journalists, an anti-Nazi newspaper in Arabic to cater to non-Jewish Egyptians. Relations between the Jewish community and the authorities and educated Egyptians were good, and there was even some cooperation. The Jewish community was non-political, but many of its members were active in Zionist circles. Since Egypt and Eretz Israel are neighbours, many prominent Jewish and Zionist leaders passed through Egypt and spoke to Jewish and Egyptian leaders about Zionism and Arab nationalism. The Egyptian Zionist Federation and many Jewish youth movements, such as Hashomer Haivri and Bnei Akiva, were established. Yaakov describes the attitudes of the Rabbis of Alexandria and Cairo and some prominent Egyptian Jews vis-à-vis Zionism during this period. Some of the Alexandrian Jews were rich and influential and had connections with the royal court and Egyptian officials. Although some of those Jews were suspected of being traitors. the general atmosphere was more pro-Zionist. Conditions in the concentration camp established in 1948 were tolerable. ; Yaakov and others strived towards democratizing Jewish organizations, where functions and responsibilities were transferred by "inheritance" without elections. Yaakov talks about fundraisers and contributors to the Jewish paper. He talks about press coverage of the trial of Eliahu Ben Tsuri and Eliahu Hakim for the assassination of Lord Moyne. He had serious discussions with the British censor, but generally no pressure concerning content was exerted on his pro-Zionist paper. Yaakov was interned in a concentration camp in May 1948 and stayed there for more than one year. After his release, he emigrated to France and from there made Aliyah. He founded a French newspaper which later merged with "L'Informacion".