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The mass exodus of Iraqi Jews in 1951, resulting in $34 billion in seized assets, represents one of history’s largest forced displacements. A new report from Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) reveals this forgotten chapter of Middle Eastern history, brought to light as President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza sparks fresh debates about population transfers in the region.
“In the 20th century, the breadth and scale of the near-total displacement of Jews from eleven Muslim countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf region ranks among the more significant cases of mass displacement in modern history,” said Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie, copresident of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries.
The comprehensive study, released this month, details the largely unknown transfer of more than 135,000 Jews from Iraq to Israel and other countries, beginning in 1951. British, American and Iraqi authorities negotiated to transfer the Jewish population while resettling Palestinians in Iraq. Though never formally agreed upon, the exodus proceeded, effectively ending Iraq’s 2,500-year-old Jewish community.
Forensic accounting reveals that assets, institutions and property seized from Jews in Iraq total more than $34 billion in today’s valuation. From the one million Jews in 1948 based in 10 Arab countries plus Iran, today, less than 1 percent remain. The mass departure, known as Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, stands as one of the largest organized airlifts in history.
“The historic significance of the Iraqi Jewish community cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Stanley Urman, executive director of JJAC. “Over centuries, Babylonian Jews played a central role in Judaism, producing the Babylonian Talmud and influencing Jewish communities worldwide. The abrupt cancellation of this culture constitutes a tremendous loss to civilization.”
The remaining Jews faced increasing oppression under the Baath regime, culminating in public executions in 1969. By the early 1970s, nearly all Iraqi Jews had fled.
“The Jews felt themselves to be an integral part of Iraq during the first four decades of the 20th century,” said Maurice Shohet, president of the World Organization of Jews from Iraq, who fled the country with his family in 1970. “We need to preserve the unique aspects of the Iraqi Jewish story. It is the burial place of the prophets Ezekiel and Nahum, the oldest Jewish community in the world. This story must be preserved and told.”
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
