Jews in the Spanish army.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)

SIR: I was surprised to read in Michael Galak's article (December 2007) about the "Jewish regiments fighting alongside Christian defenders ... during the Arab invasion of the Iberian Peninsula". Many historians appear to be ignorant of this.

In two dense histories of Spain I found references to discrimination against the Jews and sometimes outright persecution of Jews during the Visigothic period, but nothing about their military contribution. In Friedrich Heer's book God's First Love he claims that the oppressed Jews of Spain "found allies and protectors in the Arabs who were preparing to conquer the peninsula". Paul Johnson's A History of the Jews also refers to the persecution, and then says, "Hence when the Moslems invaded Spain in 711, the Jews helped them to overrun it, often garrisoning captured cities behind the advancing Arab armies.

This happened in Cordoba, Granada, Toledo and Seville." Two of these cities are among those Dr Galak believes were defended by Jewish regiments.

I wonder if Dr Galak could publish his sources.

Michael Cashman, Brisbane, Qld.

Michael Galak replies:

I would ...