| 1967 Tripoli pogrom | |
|---|---|
| Part of theSix-Day war | |
| Location | Tripoli,Kingdom of Libya |
| Date | June 1967 (1967-06) |
| Target | Jewish residents of Tripoli |
Attack type | Pogrom,looting,arson |
| Deaths | 18 |
| Injured | 25 |
| Perpetrators | Muslim mobs, police officers |
| Defenders | Alitalia staff and crew members, Libyan secret police |
The1967 Tripoli pogrom was ananti-Jewishpogrom which took place in theLibyan city ofTripoli.[1]
Two major pogroms had occurred in Libya prior to the riots of 1967:One in 1945 which killed over 140 people andone in 1948 that killed 14.[2][3] The 1967 riot broke out in response to theSix-Day War betweenIsrael and the Arab world.[4][5] Arab leaders, especiallyGamal Abdel Nasser,[6] broadcast public statements calling for the destruction of Israel and in support for the Arab cause.[5]
On the night of 5 June 1967, the same day the war started, a mob made up of hundreds of Muslim Libyans attacked Jewish homes and businesses in the city'sJewish Quarter, burning theBet-El synagogue to the ground.[7][8] Rioters attacked and set fire to Jewish houses, stores and cars, in addition tolooting Jewish properties. A survivor recalled in 2017 he had been told that rioters at one point set atire alight and threw it into a shop.[9] Of all Jewishassets, both public and private, 60% were destroyed.[8]
KingIdris of Libya responded by orderingsecret police to evacuate the Jewish population, transporting 3,000 Jews into a former Britishmilitary base in theLibyan Desert. A group of rioters managed to disguise themselves as police officers during this operation, managing to kidnap and murder nine members of the Luzon family, including two parents and seven children.[7] Staff and workers for the ItalianAlitaliaairline also reacted by shielding Jews who had fled to the airport for safety. Staff repelled rioting mobs from getting to the airport and managed to hand out numerous plane tickets to Jews.[8] Alitalia's efforts were assisted byChief Rabbi of RomeElio Toaff and theGovernment of Italy.[10]
In total, 18 Jews were killed in the pogrom and at least 25 injured.[11][12]
The pogrom effectively ended theJewish presence in Libya.[13] 4,100[5] Jews managed to flee the country toItaly, including 2,500 who arrived toRome via Alitalia.[10][8] AfterMuammar Gaddafi took power in a1969 coup, he ordered a persecution campaign against his country's Jewish minority, which led to the 100 remaining Jews fleeing the country.[14]
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