A series of stories in the past few weeks highlight the end of the Jewish communities in various Muslim and Arab nations.
There are now only four Jews left in Iraq, none of whom wish to be identified. There used to be 150,000.
Only six Jews remain in Yemen after 13 Jews were forced out recently - even though they were reportedly staunchly against moving to Israel. There used to be over 60,000.
The last Jew in Afghanistan is leaving, who kept watch over the empty synagogue which will now close forever. That community dates to the 7th century CE.
There are only about 10 elderly Jews left in Egypt (from 75,000 in 1948.) Less than 200 in Algeria (140,000) . An estimated 30 in Lebanon. from 24,000 in 1948. Close to zero in Syria (30,000.) Zero in Libya (formerly 38,000.) Zero in Jordan. Close to zero under the Palestinian Authority.
Morocco, which is celebrated for its tolerance towards Jews, has only about 3000 Jews remaining from a community that used to number 250,000. Similarly, Tunisia's Jewish population has plummeted from over 100,000 to 1500, and it is considered to be friendly to Jews as well. Iran trumpets its tolerance towards Jews, but 75% of Jews fled after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
The relationship between Muslim antisemitism and friendliness towards Israel is impossible to ignore. Some Muslim countries that have warm relations with Israel, like Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, also have thriving Jewish communities. The Jewish communities in the Gulf are starting to re-emerge publicly after the signing of the Abraham Accords.
I am seeing articles that are sympathetic to Jews occasionally being published in places like Iraq and Egypt, something that was unthinkable not too long ago. Even so, the relationship between how Muslim countries treat their Jews and how they look at Israel is too strong to be ignored.
The people who like to pretend that there is no antisemitism in the Arab and Muslim world only have to look at how the Jewish communities have fared in that world.