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The influence of the European superpowers in Muslim countries grew increasingly from the end of the 18th century. It led to revisions in governmental and administrative arrangements as well as changes in the communal organization and legal status of the Jews, who for the most part welcomed the ‘winds of the West’ with open arms.
However, it was not only the overall European influence that helped the Jews living in Muslim countries, but also the direct intervention of French and British Jewish communities. In the second half of the 19th century, close ties were established between Jews in Muslim countries and European individuals and organizations that worked to support Jews worldwide.