Egyptian lawyer to sue Jews for biblical 'plunder'
An Egyptian lawyer said on Wednesday he was planning to sue the world's Jews for "plundering" gold during the Exodus from Pharaonic Egypt thousands of years ago, based on information in the Bible.
Nabil Hilmi, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Egypt's Al Zaqaziq University, said the legal basis for the case was under study by a group of lawyers in Egypt and Europe.
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Some Jewish commentators say that while the biblical passage may be fact, the Hebrews were enslaved by the Egyptians and therefore had a right to claim compensation for wages.
"Hilmi's assertion that the Hebrew Bible is fact has given Israel and Jews the world over a reason to rejoice. He has opened the door for all Jews to sue Egypt for over 400 years of slavery," writer Beth Goodman told Reuters.
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Hilmi said Egyptian and European historical and religious experts were trying to establish if the biblical passage could be taken as fact, and hence form the basis for a lawsuit.
He said the argument that Jews could sue Egypt for enslaving them was also being studied by experts.
�Jordan Times September 11 2003