Day to Mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran Date in the current year: November 30, 2024

On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Partition Plan for Palestine. The resolution recommended the creation of independent Jewish and Arab states in the former Mandatory Palestine. Arab and Muslim countries responded to this decision with anti-Jewish riots. The first riots took place in December 1947 in Aleppo, Syria and Aden, Aden Protectorate (present-day Yemen).

In addition, newly independent Arab states began to take measures to force Jews to emigrate to Israel. They deprived Jews of citizenship, confiscated their property and bank accounts, prohibited Jews from practicing certain professions such as law, medicine, engineering and teaching, etc.

As a result of anti-Jewish riots and measures, about 90% of Jews were forced to leave Arab and Muslim countries between 1948 and the early 1970s. According to different estimates, the exodus affected lives the of 800,000 to 1 million Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, many of whom were left with nothing.

The Day to Mark the Departure and Expulsion of Jews from the Arab Countries and Iran was officially established by the Knesset (Israeli parliament). It is observed on November 30, the day following the adoption of the UN Partition Plan for Palestine. Interestingly, most holidays and memorial days in Israel are celebrated by the Hebrew calendar, but this one is marked by the Gregorian calendar.