Posted on: 2002

By Sami Rami

The Zionist movement

The Zionist movement faced rejection in the regions of the Ottoman state, but Jews enjoyed the same equal rights with others since the reign of Sultan Muhammad the 2nd(1808-1839) in the wake of his large-scale political and social reforms.

The equal rights decree was declared in 1839 by Sultan Abdul Majeed (1839-1861). Further details regarding the decree were made in 1856. A year earlier, in1855, the state cancelled the tax of tribute exacted from Jews.

The reforms’ movement culminated in 1876 when the empire adopted its first constitution. Meanwhile, Oriental Jews paid high attention to Palestine, for example started in the 17^th century turning to the book of prayers stipulated by Rabbi Ha’ari and his followers in Jerusalem and Safad instead of the classical book of prayers. Rabbi Youse Haiem, then leader of Iraqi Jews prepared a book of prayers in harmony of books of prayers approved by followers of the Cabbala’s sect in Palestine (Rabbis Ha’ari, Haiem Vetal and Shalom Shara’abi) who lived in Palestine between 16-18 centuries. The teachings of the Cabbala of Palestinian Jews have spread also into north Africa, Balkan’s states and Turkey. When Safad lost its religious significance in the 17^th century, other religious Jewish centers appeared in Jerusalem and Aleppo–many religious schools were founded in Jerusalem and the leader of this faction in Jerusalem, dubbed as Hereshon Lesion, enjoyed a prominent place among Jewish circles.

The Jewish community of Jerusalem has played a major role through its emissaries to the Orient in publicizing Rabbi Ha’ari’s thoughts of Safad School. The centrality of Palestine in the conscience of Oriental Jews surfaced since the 19^th century or more specifically the year 1840 and thereafter. Undoubtedly, various Political and geopolitical factors contributed since then in strengthening Oriental Jews’ bridges with Palestine, and activated the immigration’s movement between all Oriental countries. As a matter of fact, the stamina of Jewish colonization in Palestine increased during the reign of Abraham Pasha (1832 – 1840). Moreover, the official Turkish recognition in1840 of Herishon Lesion as religious leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, and granting him the title of Rabbi Pashi have contributed to the growth of Jewish power there. Consequently, the power of Rabbis in Palestine has appreciated not only as Jewish clerics, but also as clergymen enjoying wide-ranging authorities among the Jewish community. Attesting to the influence of Jerusalem’s Rabbis, Yemeni Rabbis, despite their commitment to Rabbi Moses Ben Meimoon’s teachings more than any other Oriental Jews, used to send them theological questions on Judaism.

Jerusalem Rabbi Jacob Shaol Alissar who occupied the position of Grand Rabbi in Palestine (1893-1906) was a prominent Oriental Rabbi. prior to his rabbinical job. He occupied many important positions among Jewish settlers; as a senior judge for Sephardim Jews in Jerusalem or as Jerusalem’s Grand Rabbi Deputy. Alissar was also close to Oriental Jews, who migrated to Jerusalem, occupying thus a prominent place among them.

Generally speaking, we can say that Jerusalem’s Rabbis, starting the sixteenth century, especially from the second half of the nineteenth century, constituted the highest spiritual authority to all Oriental Jews. This factor was not among important factors that encouraged Oriental Jews to immigrate to Palestine, but it contributed to the preservation of what they considered their nationalistic religious link to it, and to their wish to migrate to, depending on appropriate political and economic conditions. Oriental Jews viewed ,erroneously, Palestine as a land that they can live in, according to their traditions without problems. Therefore, no wonder that some oriental communities immigrated  to Palestine en masse