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Three Worlds

Memoirs of an Arab-Jew

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Three Worlds

By: Avi Shlaim
Narrated by: Neil Shah
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In July 1950, Avi Shlaim, only five, and his family were forced into exile, fleeing their beloved Iraq to the new state of Israel.

Today the once flourishing Jewish community of Iraq, at one time numbering over 130,000 and tracing its history back 2,600 years, has all but vanished.

Why so? One explanation speaks of the timeless clash between Arab and Jewish civilizations and a heroic Zionist mission to rescue Eastern Jews from backward nations and unceasing persecution.

Avi Shlaim tears up this script. His parents had many Muslim friends in Baghdad and no interest in Zionism. As anti-Semitism surged in Iraq, the Zionist underground fanned the flames. Yet when Iraqi Jews fled to Israel, they faced an uncertain future, their history was rewritten to serve a Zionist narrative.

This memoir breathes life into an almost forgotten world. Weaving together the personal and the political, Three Worlds offers a fresh perspective on Arab-Jews, caught in the crossfire of Zionism and nationalism.

©2023 Avi Shlaim (P)2024 Tantor Judaism Middle East Politics & Government Memoir Iran Royalty Africa
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Honestly written, the book is a perfect combination of biography and sociology of non-Zionist Iraki Jews forced to leave their homeland and to establish themselves in a new nation that works to erase their culture.

A biographical and sociological history

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An Arab Jew perspective on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict which beautifully combines family memoirs with historical research

Enlightening

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Really engaging. Gives such a sense of the rich history Iraqi Jews contributed to Baghdad. He gave real insight into the true nature of the Israeli state. Narrated well.

Brilliant memoir

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Brilliantly sad, hopeful and informative! I feel better informed after reading this account of an Arab Jew’s lived experiences. Here’s hoping for peace in the Middle East!
Thank you, Mr Schlam!

Three Worlds

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I really liked the combination of personal and family history with a general overview of the recent history of the Middle East. His conclusion of one democratic state between the river and the sea for all its inhabitants confirms my view of the only way the Israel Palestine problem can be solved.

Moving and Impressive book

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