Did Muslims and Jews really live together peacefully before Zionism came along?

Yeah, the image that the Pro-Palestinian side paints is far more rosy that the actual reality.

Of course, I don't dismiss the fact that the Jews long thrived in Muslim ruled lands. There is a history that is something to be proud of, and it's much more positive than the one in Europe for a time. Nor do I denounce all Muslims as being villainous Jew haters, as some of them seem to think, based on their responses. Jews did well in Muslim lands, past tense.

I just don't ignore the more recent history, nor the incidents that transpired prior to any serious Zionist movements that permeated the Jewish communities. In circles, there are Jews that are called the "Forgotten Refugees" since that's how they seem to be in this conflict, forgotten about. And we can guess where they came from, and what kind of people they are.

One thing that I've always found striking is that it took no time for many Islamic nations to depopulate themselves a significant Jewish presence. There are records of things they did to drive out the Jews, and many did flee to escape persecution or death. I find it alarming that many of the communities were recorded to be loyal to their states, but left because they couldn't live their anymore. It's ironic that a lot of people were never Zionists, yet had only Israel to turn to. I think it's telling that, in a really short amount of time, that many people turned their backs on their Jewish compatriots. I don't like how many ignore Libya's complete depopulation, the records of abuse in Syria and Yemen, and even if Iran has a five digit number of Jews (somehow), it's still an estimated 20-25% of what it USED to be at the start of Israel's existence as a modern country.

The other thing that really doesn't sit well with me, is a complete ignoring the fact that ~50% of Israel's population, if they return "to where they belong", would return to places where they no longer are welcome and are likely to not be safe. They always list countries like "Poland, Russia, and Germany", when in fact that not all Jews have a single ancestor that lived in one of those countries (for example, I don't), and when they list alternate places to live, they seem to think that the US or whatever will absorb them all. Since, there is no way in hell you'd ever drag the far majority of Mizrahi Jews to an Arabic speaking country. I certainly rather be an Arab in Israel over being a Jew in an Arabic country.

actually, palestine was exactly like that as well. the jews, christians, and muslims were friends and lived very peacefully together. but the jews became zionists and oppress the muslim and christian population. i think if you go to lebanon, they still don't care what religion you follow. but i think that excludes jews because israel invaded lebanon many times edit: wow. after reading what you just said, salah ad-deen would have been disappointed/digusted. kurdistan is full of murjis, bid'ah, and jahils. edit: birthdays and all these things are bid'ah/kufr/shirk. we don't warn you because we feel we need to direct our anger towards you for no reason. we warn because we are knowledgable about our religion. the pophet came to destroy these things. . .

Yes I seen in Middle East for last 50 years

Yes they did live together in peace for many years before despite the fact that there were over twice as many Palestinians than Jews. It was not until the Zionists became aware of the partition plan that they started attacking Arab villages killing and driving thousands int exile

"In practice, Zionists did not accept the UN Partition Plan. Zionists seized areas beyond the proposed Jewish State and did not recognize the International Zone. Using force and terrorism months before May 1948, Jews seized land beyond the UN proposed borders. The UN Plan was used as a pretense for taking over most of Palestine"

Here is a good link which explains in full the position before and after 1947

I hate to bust your naturally divisive Zionist bubble, but those crap links you provided are decades after the Zionists began immigrating to the land... So it seems you don't know "your" own history. Here, i'll help you out. Ahad Haam was a leading Russian Zionist, and 2nd most important only to Theodor Herlz. He visited Palestine in 1891 and discovered 2 things:

1) The Zionist myth that Palestine was an empty land was false.

"We abroad are used to believe the Eretz Yisrael is now almost totally desolate, a desert that is not sowed ..... But in truth that is not the case. Throughout the country it is difficult to find fields that are not sowed. Only sand dunes and stony mountains .... are not cultivated."

2) The recent Zionist immigrants were acting like animals and stiring up trouble.

" ....[the Zionist pioneers believed that] the only language the Arabs understand is that of force ..... [They] behave towards the Arabs with hostility and cruelty, trespass unjustly upon their boundaries, beat them shamefully without reason and even brag about it, and nobody stands to check this contemptible and dangerous tendency."

And what's that fairly tale you want us to believe in? Is that Israel miraculously came into existence (along with Zionism) over night in 1948?

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Zionis...

http://maviboncuk.blogspot.com/2005/05/sultan-abdu...

@ I DID answer the question. They were not before Zionism.

@2 Two of those three took place during riots and revolts, even the Turks were killed during Arab revolts, so it was not something against Jews. Also, the Arabs revolts were generally supported and orchestrated by either Britons or Frenchmen.

Also, I do not think you could call Muhammad Damoo (a self-proclaimed prophet) a Muslim.

And about the other one, who knows for sure whether those Jews really killed that Christian monk, or not? And if not, Syria was under the control of Muhammad Ali, a rebel supported by both France and Britain.

And if you read the source you provided: "The Christians in Damascus complained about their cruel treatment by the Muslim judges. Fearing an additional wave of Muslim violence, following the return of Ottoman rule in Syria in 1840, they enlisted assistance of priests from Catholic orders, including the Franciscans and the Capuchins. These priests reportedly brought the previously European blood libel myth with them"

So, it was European Christians, not Muslim Arabs, even if it was not true.

Saudi Arabia's King Ibn Saud articulated the Muslim attitude towards Jews most clearly in an interview in 1937:

"Our hatred for the Jews dates from God's condemnation for their persecution and rejection of Jesus and their rejection later of His Chosen Prophet Muhammad". In the same interview, he also said that "for a Muslim to kill a Jew, or for him to be killed by a Jew ensures him an immediate entry into Heaven and into the august presence of God Almighty."

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId...

Lots of other background there.

Actually not. In fact jews have been hated in the middle east for as far back as it is known. I do not know the reason behind this but this has been the case. On the other hand arabs or Mideastern are not themselves as peaceful as they claim to be. They have a natural tendency towards brutality and this combination with the Israeli culrure that is also middle eastern creates an explosive mix. It is just cultural and has nothing to do with religion or Zionism.

Most of your references(5 out of 8) states clearly that it happened because of zionism and zionists(1920-1947)......

The answer is yes Muslim and Jews in the middle east lived together peacefully before zionism and zionists....If you compare it with Europe or even the states.....The Jews of the middle east enjoyed a peaceful environment.

Note....The other 3 references has nothing to do with Islam and Muslims.

@S.B.....Again the Arab "rejection" of the zionists "projects" in Palestine was led by Arab Nationalists....,from the left and right,....Christians,Muslims,Communists.....ALL Alike....The Islamic parties led the struggle against zionism in the 80's of last century......and obviously after israel was led by the likud and religious parties.......

No

Muslims abused Jews almost as badly as the Christians did