Ethnic cleansing of Jews from Iraq

Based on historical demographic records:

Around 1900, the Jewish population of Iraq was roughly 50,000 to 60,000 people.

Context:

Baghdad: The largest community. In 1908, Jews made up about 1/3 of Baghdad’s population — roughly 50,000 out of 150,000 residents. In 1900 it would’ve been similar, maybe 40,000-50,000.

Overall Iraq: Estimates for the whole region, then part of the Ottoman Empire, put the Jewish population at ∼50,000-63,000 around 1900.

Proportions: Jews were one of Iraq’s oldest communities, with roots going back to the Babylonian exile in 586 BCE. In 1900 they were prominent in commerce, banking, and civil service, especially in Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. 1929

By 1947, before the mass exodus to Israel, the number peaked at ∼120,000-150,000. Today, fewer than 5 Jews remain in Iraq.

So: the Jewish population of Iraq in the year 1900 was approximately ∼50-60k total with about 80% of them in Baghdad.

As of 2025, only 3 Jews are reported to be living in Iraq.

What happened:

Historical decline: In 1900 there were ∼50,000-60,000 Jews. By 1947, pre-exodus, ∼120,000-150,000. Mass emigration to Israel in 1950-51 dropped it to ∼6,000.

Recent years: Various estimates have put the number at “a handful” to ∼160 in Baghdad. The UK’s 2024 country report noted “only a handful of Jewish citizens remain” in federal Iraq, with possibly 100-250 in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Latest figure: A 2025 source cited in Wikipedia’s “History of the Jews in Iraq” says the total is now 3. Most don’t publicly acknowledge their religion due to fear of persecution.

Why so few:

1950 law stripped citizenship from Jews who emigrated to Israel.

Current law imposes penalties up to death for promoting normalization with Israel, and bars Jews from military/public sector jobs.

Decades of war, persecution, and lack of security.

Iraq’s Jewish community dates back to the Babylonian exile in 586 BCE. At its peak, Jews were 1/3 of Baghdad. Today it’s effectively gone.

The Farhud: June 1-2, 1941

“Farhud” means “violent dispossession” in Arabic. It was a pogrom against Baghdad’s Jews.

What happened:

Context: Pro-Nazi coup by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani collapsed. As British troops re-entered Baghdad, a power vacuum + antisemitic propaganda ignited violence.

The attack: Mobs — including police and soldiers — rampaged through Jewish neighborhoods for 2 days.

Casualties: Official Iraqi report: 180 Jews killed, 240 wounded. Jewish community estimates: 600+ killed, thousands injured. 586 Jewish businesses looted, 911 Jewish homes destroyed.

Aftermath: British troops stood outside the city and didn’t intervene for 2 days. The Farhud shattered the Jewish community’s sense of security in Iraq. Many called it “the beginning of the end.”

1950-1951 Exodus: Operation Ezra and Nehemiah

After Israel was founded in 1948, life for Iraqi Jews deteriorated fast: arrests, dismissals from public jobs, restrictions on commerce.

Key events:

March 1950: Iraq passed a law allowing Jews to emigrate if they renounced Iraqi citizenship. The government assumed few would leave. They were wrong.

Mass registration: 120,000+ Jews — over 90% of the community — registered within months to leave. They had to liquidate property, often at huge losses.

1951 bombs: A series of bombings hit Jewish targets in Baghdad — a synagogue, a cafe, Jewish offices. 3-5 people died. Who did it? Still debated. Iraqi gov’t blamed Zionist underground trying to speed emigration. Most historians now think Iraqi extremists did it, but Israel’s Mossad involvement has never been fully disproven. Either way, panic spiked.

Airlift: Israel ran Operation Ezra and Nehemiah from 1951-1952. Nearly the entire community was airlifted to Israel — about 121,000 Iraqi Jews in 18 months.

Asset seizure: In March 1951, Iraq froze the assets of Jews who had registered to leave. Those who stayed lost citizenship too. An estimated $200 million in property was seized — billions today.

Result: A 2,600-year-old community went from 150,000 to ∼6,000 by 1952. Those remaining faced more restrictions. By the 1970s, under Saddam, most of the rest fled. That’s why only 3 are left today.

The link: The Farhud planted deep fear and proved the state wouldn’t protect Jews. When the 1950 law gave an out, and bombings created terror, the exodus became near-total.