List of Jews from the Arab World

From the Arab Expansion until the 1960s, Jews were a significant part of the population of Arab countries. Before 1948, an estimated 900,000 Jews lived in what are now Arab states. Here is a list of some prominent Jews from the Arab World, arranged by country of birth.

Algeria

* Jacques Attali, economist, writer
* Lili Boniche, musician
* Patrick Bruel, singer, actor
* Alain Chabat, actor
* Hélène Cixous, feminist writer
* Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, physicist, Nobel prize (1997)
* Jacques Derrida, deconstructionist philosopher
* Alphonse Halimi, boxer: World Bantamweight Champion ^{[http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/AlphonseHalimi.htm]}
* Roger Hanin, film actor & director
* Enrico Macias, singer

Bahrain

* Ebrahim Daoud Nonoo, former member of parliament
* Houda Ezra Nonoo, human rights activist & member of parliament

Egypt

* Eli Cohen, celebrated Israeli spy
* Sir Ronald Cohen, Egyptian-born businessman
* Aura Herzog
* Eric Hobsbawm, historian (Jewish-Polish & -German parents living in Cairo)
* Edmond Jabès, poet
* Ranan Lurie, political cartoonist
* Moshe Marzouk, doctor
* Layla Murad, singer (converted to Islam)
* Haim Saban, TV producer
* Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist for New York Dolls
* Bat Ye'or, historian
* S'adyah ben Joseph, Gaon (born on Egypt)

Iraq

* Adiabene people
* Many Tannas and Amoraim, including:
** Abba Arika, "Rabh", amora
** Shmuel Yarchina'ah, "Mar Samuel", or Samuel of Nehardea, amora
** Rav Huna
** Rav Chisda
** Abaye, amora
** Abba bar Yoseph bar Hama, "Rabha", amora
** Rav Papa, amora
** Huna ben Joshua, amora
** Huna ben Nathan
** Rav Ashi (Abana), rav, amora
* Anan ben David, founder of Qara'ism
* Ari Ben-Menashe
* Dodai ben Nahman
* Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, politician
* Ya'qub Bilbul, poet
* Sir Sassoon Eskell, Iraqi statesman and financier
* Naeim Giladi, writer
* Hakham Yosef Chayyim of Baghdad, "Ben Ish Chai"
* Yitzchak Kadouri, rabbi and kabbalist
* Elie Kedourie, historian
* Sami Michael^*, Israeli writer: ( [http://www.forgetbaghdad.com/index.php?topic=michael&lang=e] ; not "-Amin al Shammas")
* Layla Murad, Singer (Iraqi father)
* Samir Naqqash, novelist
* Maurice & Charles Saatchi, advertising executives
* David Sassoon, Anglo-Indian merchant, and Sassoon family
* Yaakov Chaim Sofer, rabbi
* Dahlia Wasfi, activist
* Elliott Yamin, singer (American Idol contestant]
* Ovadia Yosef, rabbi

Kuwait

* Saleh and Daoud Al-Kuwaity, Kuwaiti (late Israeli) famous singers

Libya

* George Borba, footballer

Lebanon

* Guy Béart, french singer
* Yfrah Neaman, violinist
* Isaac Sasson, president of the community 'Haïm Cohen Halala' in Beirut

Morocco

* Michel Abitbol, an academic at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* Isaac Alfasi, a Talmudist and posek. Best known for his work of "halakha"
* Shlomo Amar, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel
* Robert Assaraf, a historian and writer
* André Azoulay, advisor to Kings Hassan II and Mohammed VI
* Shlomo Ben-Ami Israeli diplomat, politician and author born in Tangier
* Ralph Benmergui Canadian media personality, born in Tangier
* Raphael Berdugo, a dayan, a scholar, and a rabbi
* Salomon Berdugo, poet and rabbi from Meknes
* Aryeh Deri, a former leader of Shas Party
* André Elbaz, a painter and filmmaker from El Jadida
* Edmond Amran El Maleh, writer
* Gad Elmaleh, humorist, actor
* David Hassine, a liturgic poet and rabbi
* Dunash ben Labrat, grammarian, poet
* David Levy, Israeli politician
* Chalom Messas, the Grand Rabbi of Morocco until 2003
* David Messas, the Grand Rabbi of Paris since 1995
* Amir Peretz politician, leader of the Labour Party
* Baba Sali, rabbi
* Abraham Serfaty, political activist
* Avi Toledano, a singer who competed at the Eurovision Song Contest
* Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli dissident (converted to Christianity)

Saudi Arabia

* Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya (Samuel ibn 'Adiya), poet, warrior
* David Reubeni, false messiah

udan

* Nessim Gaon, financier

yria

* Ezra Attia, Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva
* Edmond Safra, billionaire banker
* Jacob Safra, founder of Jacob E. Safra Bank
* Joseph Safra, chairman of all Safra companies

Tunisia

* Max Azria, fashion designer, founder of BCBG
* Roger Bismuth, Tunisian senator
* Alain Boublil, lyricist
* Claude Challe, club impresario and DJ
* Pierre Darmon, tennis player
* Albert Memmi, novelist & sociologist
* Silvan Shalom, Israeli politician and former Foreign Minister of Israel

Yemen

* Nethanel ben Isaiah
* Jacob ben Nathanael
* Ofra Haza, famous Israeli singer
* Yosef Qafih rabbi and leader of Baladi Yemenite Jewish community
* Abdullah ibn Saba, converted to Islam (born Jewish)
* Makeda Queen of Sheba (converted)
* Rabiah ibn Mudhar & Dhu Nuwas, kings of Himyarite
* Wahb bin Munabbih (?-732), converted to Islam (born Persian Jew)
* Shalom Shabazi, poet

ee also

*Jewish exodus from Arab lands
*Jewish refugees
*List of Jews
**List of Asian Jews
**List of South-East European Jews
*List of Egyptians
*List of Lebanese people
*List of Syrians
*List of Iraqis
*History of the Jews in Tunisia
*History of the Jews in Morocco
*History of the Jews in Algeria
*History of the Jews in Yemen

Footnotes