Where were Israelis from before the State of Israel formed?

Question

I'm curious because my great grandfather is Israeli...atleast I think, but the State of Israel wasn't formed till much later. I do know he's a Jew from the Middle East, though.

Answer 1

There were always Jewish people inhabiting Israel even when the majority were in the diaspora.  If he said he was born there then he was born there.

Here is also link http://www.theforgottenrefugees.com/inde...

regarding our "forgotten refugees" from Arab lands as everyone thinks Israel just pertains to Holocaust. That was a propaganda push by antisemites trying to say we didn't have any rights to the land.  Who knows what other propaganda people believe?!  Even DNA tests prove Ashkenazim have semitic roots to Fertile Crescent (Middle East) region!

We've been everywhere else diaspora as scripture says we would go to ends of earth and then back again (we did.) Try following your family tree to find exactly where you're family has been.  

My family made it from Israel to Spain (Sefarad) to Mexico (New World) then America and next stop back to Israel!!!

Answer 2

The short answer is "The Diaspora".  

The long answer is, until 1948, Jews had no homeland and had been driven out of the western Mediterranian area aka 'Palastine' or 'the holy land'  centuries ago.   It would be very very difficult to pinpoint which area of Palastine or the holy land your grandfather's ancestors came from.

The jews that had been driven out settled all over Europe, but primarily central Europe, eastern Europe and areas of Russia west of the Volga River.  

The jews had a common religion and ethnic heritage but without a homeland, living in scattered locations was referred to as The 'Diaspora'.

Jews in the Diaspora were minorities almost everywhere they lived.   Many Catholic and Protestant christians who dominated Europe had a draconian interpretation of the Bible and sometimes blamed the decendents of the jews for crucifying Jesus of Nazareth 2000 years ago.

The various persecutions of the Jews were called "Pogroms" - the most heinous and notorious of which was the n**i policy that called for the extermination of all european Jews during WW II.

When WW II ended, the United Nations passed a resolution that created a Jewish homeland in Palastine - what is now Israel.   It was hoped that creating a jewish homeland would provide a refuge for Jews throughout the world and put an end to Jewish persecution.  

The UN vision of Israel hasn't worked perfectly, but without Israel, pogroms and a humanitarian disaster would very likely have been the result.

Answer 3

there still isnt a state called that. They came from the n**i camps.

Answer 4

Jewish citizens if Israel are not all from Europe. The diaspora is spread around most parts of the world. Your great grandfather certainly may have lived in another country in the middle east where many immigrants to Israel come from, just like many from African countries, India and Russia. Since the creation of the state of Israel the Jewish population in arab countries in the middle east has declined, they were not welcome in most and now with the chaos in Iraq, they are not welcome in any. They had lived in Iraq as it was a sectarian country, but not any more. Also they had lived in Iran before the islamic revolution but not safely since.

Answer 5

europe mostly, a lot of them came from Britain then there is also the US

but also all around the world

there are also the jews who were already there but they're just a fraction