Joseph Schechtman's Perspective on Jewish Migration from Arab Countries

This article discusses Joseph Schechtman's writings on Jewish migration from Arab countries during the period from the 1948 War through the early 1960s. The article examines how Schechtman's writing combined his Revisionist Zionist worldview with his expertise as a researcher of population transfer. I discuss Schechtman's distinction between the migration patterns of different Jewish communities from Arab and Muslim countries and his decision to focus on the migration of Jews from Yemen, Iraq, and Libya. I argue that, as in his earlier studies on population transfer in Europe and Asia, Schechtman positioned the migration of Jews from Arab countries to Israel within the framework of population transfer, and thus as forced migration. The article discusses three key stages and aspects that Schechtman examined in his writings: the position of Jewish minorities in Arab countries, the characteristics of the migration process, and the resettlement and integration stage in Israel. Among other aspects, the article explores Schechtman's perception of population transfer as a solution to the minority problem in nation-states; his view of Jewish history in Arab and Muslim countries and his use of the term "refugees" to refer to Jewish migrants from these countries; and the parallel he drew between Palestinian refugees and Jews from Arab countries regarding their migration process, integration, and resettlement.