The Jewish Community of Iraq. estimated to be in the area of 500 persons. lives in an atmosphere of fear. Frequent political executions and imprisonments are gradually killing Iraqi Jews. The Iraqi Government has recently reversed an earlier position. allowing Jews to emigrate. and has severely tightened emigration restrictions. Those few allowed to leave are permitted to take minimal possessions with them. The emigration of the Iraqi Jewish Community will obviously not harm the countrys economy. There are no logical reasons for the Iraqi Government to prevent these people from emigrating. The Jews of Iraq are not asking for their rights back. they do not want their confiscated property back. All they ask Is permission to leave -the country which has persecuted them. I urge the Iraqi Government to grant two reasonable requests to its Jewish people. First. those Jews wishing to emigrate should be allowed to do so immediately. with an adequate amount of personal property. and second. those Jews who choose to stay in Iraq should be permitted to live in peace and be treated in the same manner. with the same rights and privileges which other Iraqi citizens presently enjoy. I have sent a letter to the President of Iraq. His Excellency Maj.
Keywords matched
emigrate emigration emigrating