A Jewish cemetery in the eastern Libyan city of Derna has been demolished during construction work, drawing condemnation from Jewish heritage advocates and raising fresh concerns about the fate of historic minority sites in a country long scarred by conflict and weak central authority.

The destruction, which occurred over the past several weeks, wiped out scores of graves believed to belong to Libya’s once-thriving Jewish community, according to Pedhazur Benattia, chairman of Or Shalom, an Israeli organization dedicated to preserving Libyan Jewish heritage.

“There is nothing left there now,” Benattia told Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), adding that the demolition appeared to be carried out without regard for the site’s historical or religious significance. He shared video footage of the flattened cemetery with Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

The episode underscores how Libya’s years of political fragmentation and lawlessness have left minority heritage sites vulnerable to neglect, looting, and destruction. Derna, in particular, has endured cycles of terrorist control, civil conflict, and large-scale reconstruction efforts following devastating floods in 2023, creating conditions in which historic sites can be erased with little oversight.

Benattia said the destruction reflects a broader pattern in Libya, where Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and communal buildings have been repeatedly damaged or repurposed over the decades.

“This is unfortunately standard practice in the country,” he said.

Libya was once home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in North Africa, dating back more than 2,000 years to Roman times. Jews played prominent roles in commerce, culture, and civic life, particularly in cities such as Tripoli and Benghazi. That presence collapsed in the mid-20th century following waves of anti-Jewish violence, restrictive laws, and state-sanctioned discrimination after Libya’s independence and the creation of the State of Israel.

By the early 1970s, nearly all of Libya’s Jews had fled or been expelled. The last known Jewish resident left the country in 2003, ending a continuous Jewish presence that had spanned more than two millennia.

Heritage advocates say the destruction of cemeteries is especially painful because graves are often the last physical markers of Jewish life in countries where communities were wiped out or forced into exile.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on whether it would formally raise the issue with Libyan authorities or international organizations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)