November 5, 1945
Anti-Jewish Riots Break Out in Tripoli, Libya
Historical context
On this day, November 5, 1945, anti-Jewish riots broke out in Tripoli. Over three days, about 120 Jews were killed in the city and nearby towns.
Archive record
Read the event, then follow its documented sources and archive threads.
- Date
- November 5, 1945
- Verified sources
- 3
- Archive threads
- 7
On this day, anti-Jewish riots broke out in Tripoli, then under British military administration. Over three days, rioters killed about 120 Jews and wounded hundreds more in the city and nearby towns. They destroyed synagogues and looted hundreds of homes and businesses.
By the eve of World War II, more than 30,000 Jews lived in Libya, and about a quarter of Tripoli’s population was Jewish. The 1945 riots did not empty Libya of its Jewish community; further attacks followed in 1948 and after 1967.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- The Jews of Libya · Sheryl Silver Ochayon · Yad Vashem View source
- Libya · Yad Vashem · Shoah Resource Center View source
- Further Outbreaks in Tripolitania Feared; Public Demonstrations Prohibited in Egypt · Jewish Telegraphic Agency · JTA Daily News Bulletin (1945-11-11) View source
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