Bidspirit auction | The Treatment of Jews in

The Treatment of Jews in Egypt and Iraq – official report on antisemitism and the persecution of Jews in Middle Eastern countries in the wake of the declaration of the State of Israel. New York, 1948 - The Treatment of Jews in Egypt and Iraq - Detailed official report on the persecution of Jews in Middle Eastern countries following the declaration of the State of Israel, and in the months leading up to it. Published by the World Jewish Congress. New York, December 1948. Rare. Following the UN resolution on the partition of Palestine in November 1947, an outbreak of violence erupted against Jews in various Muslim countries—including the massacre in Aden, riots in Iran and North Africa, and additional pogroms. While the physical violence subsided in some regions, economic discrimination against Jews persisted in countries such as Syria and Lebanon. Egypt and Iraq waged a “war on two fronts”: one, a military campaign against the State of Israel, in which they suffered defeat; the other, an internal war against their own Jewish citizens, where they proved more “successful.” The condition of the Jewish communities in both countries deteriorated rapidly, reaching the point of existential threat to these ancient communities.  The present booklet is, in effect, a real-time report providing detailed information on the persecution of Jews in these countries. “What is taking place in Egypt and Iraq is nothing less than a deliberate and calculated plan to destroy a helpless minority. The aim of this booklet is to draw the attention of the world to the tragic plight of the Jews in these countries, and to point to the real causes and full extent of the acts of violence and discrimination carried out in recent months.” (from the foreword). The report describes acts of persecution and violence directed at Jews beginning on the very day of the UN resolution on the Partition Plan—November 29, 1947. In Cairo, police forces raided Jewish homes and numerous individuals were arrested. A press campaign was launched against the Jews, accusing them of planning “horrific crimes” against Arabs in order to weaken Arab resolve to fight. At the same time, Egypt passed a swift piece of legislation prepared by the Political Committee of the Arab League, which authorized the imprisonment of active Zionists, the confiscation of their property, and the freezing of most Jewish assets starting in early May 1948. That same month, the Egyptian authorities began detaining Jews in the building of the Italian School on Fouad Al-Awal Street in Cairo, after subjecting them to secret police surveillance. Jews were accused of Zionist activity, some 1,300 were arrested.  In addition, all Jewish gatherings, including those in synagogues—were banned, and Jewish communities and organizations were required to submit the names and addresses of their members. In June, the wave of terror continued, with arrests carried out based on anonymous denunciations, often without any pretext. On June 20, an explosion destroyed Jewish homes in the Haret el-Karaim neighborhood, killing over 20 people. The authorities classified the massacre as an “unplanned murder by unknown perpetrators.” Subsequently, Jews were attacked in the streets, Jewish-owned shops were set on fire, and Egyptian hospitals began to fill with Jewish victims of the pogroms. The report details numerous incidents of violence, including both organized and spontaneous lynchings of Jews that took place in Egypt in May–June 1948, while the Egyptian government and police did nothing to stop the riots—and in some cases, actively incited them. The second part of the report focuses on the antisemitic events and persecution of Jews that took place in Iraq during those same months. The report details how the situation of the 120,000 to 150,000 Jews living in Iraq was even more severe than that of the Jews in Egypt, as their isolation had begun even earlier. Cultural and economic discrimination had been official policy of the independent Iraqi government almost since its establishment in 1932. Efforts were made to push Jews out of commerce, administration, and the professions; Jewish students were denied admission to high schools and universities; Jewish schools were stripped of state subsidies, and the teaching of Hebrew and the Bible was banned. The pro-Axis revolt of 1941 was accompanied by a pogrom in Baghdad, during which, according to official reports, 110 Jews were killed, hundreds were injured, hundreds of Jewish businesses were looted, and 911 Jewish homes were destroyed. Unofficial estimates placed the death toll at 150 and the number of wounded at over 700, while the material damage was estimated at 750,000 dinars, approximately three million dollars. Since then, sporadic acts of individual violence had continued. A new outbreak of mass violence occurred in Baghdad in early July 1946, when hundreds of Jews were injured and numerous Jewish shops were looted. Beginning in 1947,