Of the 40,000 Jews who lived in Syria prior to 1948, some 4500 remain as virtual hostages, Friedman argues, in Syria's conflict with Israel under conditions that have been compared with those in Nazi Germany. Friedman describes the experiences of this persecuted group in the hope that the pressure of public opinion will persuade the Syrian government to put an end to the torture, killing and harassment and allow Jewish residents to emigrate. The author recounts the suffering and injustice endured by individuals and families living in Jewish sections of Damascus, Aleppo and Qamishli over the past 30 years. The book includes several first-person accounts that graphically reveal the systematic oppression that characterizes the Syrian government's treatment of Jewish citizens, as well as the government's tolerance of acts of violence against Jews committed by members of the Arab majority. To safeguard those who have been left behind, the author conceals the identities of both Jews still living in Syria and the rescuers who have been working to get them out, and he withholds specific information about escape methods and routes.
This book carries an important message that will be of interest to general readers as well as students and specialists in Eastern affairs.