While during the past few years there appeared a plethora of articles online pointing to Muammar Gaddafi as being Jewish (just Google "Gaddafi Jewish" ), including the famous Arutz Sheva video in which a very old Libyan Jewish lady says that he is her relative, to me personally it still seemed somewhat remote.
Well, tonight I met an old Jew who was a soldier in the Haggana, and fought in Israel's war of independence. In the midst of our conversation during which we were discussing the extent of the segregation and discrimination of Sephardim in the early days of the state, he happened to mention that he was born in Benghazi.
Me: Wow, Benghazi?!
Him: Yes, by 1949 80% of Libyan Jews already left to Israel.
Me: So is it true that Gaddafi was Jewish?
Him: Well, his grandmother was Jewish.
Me: His maternal grandmother?
Him: Yes.
Me: So that means he
was Jewish!
Him: ...Yes. Though not everyone who's Jewish are we proud of them...
Me: Was the Libyan Jewish community so tight-knit that you'd know anyone if they're Jewish or not?
Him: Sure, we were a very small community. The whole Libyan Jewish community totalled 35,000.
Me: At it's height/peak?
Him: Yes, before '48.
There you have it. That's enough proof for me. This man is not senile ch"v; he's a distinguished physician.
