יום רביעי, 5 בספטמבר 2012

Ezra and Nehemia Program



By 1949, the Iraqi Zionist underground had become well-established (despite many arrests),
and they were smuggling Iraqi Jews out of the country illegally at a rate of 1,000 a month (1).
Hoping to stem the flow of assets from the country, in Mrach 1950, Iraq passed a law of one
year duration, allowing Jews to emigrate on condition of relinquishing their Iraqi citizenship.
They were motivated by "economic considerations, chief of which was that almost all the
property of departing Jews reverted to the state treasury" and also that "Jews were seen as
a restive and potentially troublesome minority that the country was best rid off". Israel was
initially reluctant to absorb so many immigrants, but eventually mounted an airlift operation in
March 1951, called "Ezra and Nehemiah" to bring as many of the Iraqi Jews to Israel, and
sent agents to Iraq to urge the Jews to register for immigration as soon as possible.(2).

From the start of the emigration law in March 1950, until the end of the year, 60,000 Jews
registered to leave Iraq. In addition to continuing arrests and the dismissal of Jews from their
jobs, this exodus was encouraged by a series of  bombing starting in  April 1950, that resulted
in a number of injuries and a few deaths (3).Two months before the expiry of the law,
by which time about 85,000 Jews had registered, another bomb at the Masuda Shemtov
Synagogue killed 3 or 5 Jews and injured many others.

The law expired in March 1951, but was later extended after the Iraqi government froze
the assets of departing Jews, including those who had already left. During the next few
months, all but a few thousand of the remaining Jews registered for emigration, spurred on by
a sequence of  further bombings that caused few casualties but had great psychological
impact.In operation "Ezra and Nehemiah" some 120,000 Jews were airlifted to Israel via
Iran and Cyprus (4).

Iraqi Jews left behind them extensive property, often located in the heart of Iraq's major
cities. A relatively high number found themselves in refugee camps in Israel, known as
Ma'abarot (5).The cash assets alone of the emigrants were valued more than 10,000,000
pounds. Their other assets: lands, business, houses and personal possessions, a formidable
national wealth, accumulated  millions of pounds were likewise to be forfeited. Over a
hundred thousand Jew were suddenly rendered penniless.

(1) Simon , Regular and Lasker, (2003)
(2)  Hillel, S. (1986)
(3)  Pappe, (2004)
(4)  Benjamin, (2007)
(5)  Gale, (2005)

אין תגובות:

הוסף רשומת תגובה