75: Airlift

75 years ago (March 1951) Israel airlifted 130,000 Jewish Men, Women and Children from Iraq and brought them to Israel under Operation Ezra and Nehemiah.

(Iraqi Jews arriving in Israel in 1951.)

Jews had been in Iraq since 586 BCE.

During the British Mandate of Iraq from 1920-1932 Jews ran the Judicial and Postal Systems of Iraq.

In 1941, 180 Jews were murdered, 2,000 Jews were wounded, 586 Jewish-Owned Businesses and 900 Jewish Homes were destroyed during the Farhud Pogrom in Baghdad, Iraq.

With the establishment of Israel in 1948 Iraq made it illegal for Jews to engage in Banking, Foreign Currency Transactions, work on the Railways, the Post Office, the Telegraph Department or work in any Iraqi Government Ministry.

From 1948-1950 the Iraqi Government made it illegal for Jews to emigrate to Israel while at the same time Officially Discriminating against the Jews inside Iraq (torturing and executing many.)

From 1948 and 1950 the Iraqi Zionist Organization began to illegally smuggle 1,000 Jews from Iraq (through Shah Iran) every month.

To stem the Brain and Money Flight out of the Country the Iraqi Government allowed Jews to legally leave Iraq for Israel if they gave up their Iraqi Citizenship (and all their property and money inside Iraq) in 1951.

The Iraqi Government received $351 Million US Dollars worth (in 2026 Money) of Iraqi Jews’ property.

Every single Jewish Man, Woman and Child leaving Iraq was humiliated every step of the way by both Iraqi Government Officials and the Iraqi People.

The trucks taking the Jews to the Airport at stones thrown at them and every Jew was physically search for jewels and cash at the airport.

Every 3 hours a flight left Iraq for Israel (via Cyprus.)

In 1952, after 130,000 Jewish Men, Women and Children had left Iraq the Iraqi Government banned the remaining 6,000 Jews from leaving the Country and continued their Official Anti-Jewish Discrimination against them.

This was part of the wider Mass Migration of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa starting in 1948 until the 1960s.

900,000 Jewish Men, Women and Children fled the Anti-Jewish Countries of: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Sudan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The majority went to Israel and the United States.

From 1949-1959 Israel was dealing with severe Austerity so adding 900,000 Jews from the Muslim World including the 130,000 from Iraq in such a short time put a strain on Israel.

It had just won its Independence and stopped the Militaries of: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the Arab-Israel War.

Because of International Pressure and lack of Foreign Currency and Support Israel had to make Rationing on Basic Foods, Furniture, Footwear and most other things.