The Government of Iraq ran full page advertisements calling for the return of its Iraqi Jews who had fled their country Iraq after the breakout of the 1948 war.

The Government of Iraq ran full page advertisements calling for the return of its Iraqi Jews who had fled their country Iraq after the breakout of the 1948 war.
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Posted on March 6, 2007

On December 11, 1975, the Government of Iraq ran full page advertisements in the New York Times, the Toronto Star, and Paris newspaper Le Monde calling for the return of Iraqi Jews who had fled after the breakout of the 1948 war. The idea behind these ads, and several other statements issued by the governments of Syria, Egypt, and the Sudan, among others, was to neutralize the Israeli claim that hundreds of thousands of Jews settling in the new state were refugees on par with the Palestinians who had fled to Arab countries. This claim was (and still is) a key part of the argument against the Palestinian demand for right of return.

It should be noted that the piece is almost entirely accurate from a historical perspective: despite widespread rioting, there was little government pressure forcing the Jews to leave.

The text of the ad, obtained from ProQuest Historical Newspaper Service (note that grammatical errors, and there are quite a few, were retained):

IRAQI JEWS INVITED TO RETURN TO IRAQ

The Revolution Command Council (RCC) adopted on November 26, 1975 an important resolution which entitles all Iraqi Jews who left Iraq since 1948 to return home and enjoy equal rights with all Iraqi citizens. The resolution also stipulates that the Iraqi Government shall guarantee to the returning Jews full constitutional rights, equality and secure living without any discrimination.
This decision by the Revolution Command Council (RCC) stems from the adherence, by the Iraqi Government, to the principles of the UN charter and to the universal declaration of rights.
This decision of the Revolution Command Council (RCC) constitutes concerete evidence that Iraqis and Arabs never harboured malice or vindictiveness against Jews. In fact Jews have lived among Arabs since medieval ages and throughout the ages there was mutual trust, respect, and happy co-existence between them. History is full of examples of Arab-Jewish cooperation. Judaism, Christianity and Islam do not preach hate and the concept of exclusivity. On the contrary, they preach love and brotherhood. As long as these basic fundamental tenets were adhered to, there blossomed understanding, mutual respect and cooperation. But as soon as these principles were abandoned, cooperation was replaced by confrontation.
The Jews, as long as they adhered to the true principles of Judaism, lived in peace among Christians and Moslems everywhere. But when the Zionist Jews began to propagate the myth of "A Chosen People", when they converted Judaism into Zionism--which is a racist movement and when they began to turn religion into a nationality and when all led to the expulsion of Arab Palestinians from their homeland, the Zionists committed a sin against the very tenets of Judaism. They excluded themselves by erroneously regarding themselves as belonging to some mythical "superior race". This racist claim therefore, rightly earned the Zionist, condemnation universally.

It should be noted that the Arabs have always distinguished between Judaism and Zionism. The former is a religion which the Arabs, like all others, respect. The latter, however, is a racist movement directed particularly against the Palestinian Arabs and, consequently, vehemently opposed by all Arabs and justice-minded people the world over.
The Arabs, have no quarrel with Jews--provided that they are not Zionists. And in keeping with this, Iraq now calls upon all Iraqi Jews who left the country since 1948 to return and enjoy all rights accorded to Iraqi citizens.

It should be known that the Iraqi Jews who left the country after 1948 left on their own. No one was expelled. In addition to that Iraqi Jews enjoyed a prosperous life in Iraq before they unilaterally decided--under Zionist instigation and terror--to leave the country.

Given the economic crisis gripping the Jews in the Zionist entity, it goes without saying that Iraqi Jews returning home are assured of a much better standard of life.
The resolution, signed by President Ahmed Hassan Al-Bakr in his capacity as the Revolution Command Council Chairman, is as follows:
"Pursuant to the provisions of para A, Article 42 of the interim constitution, in keeping with the Iraqi Government's belief in human rights, and by virtue of Iraq's adherence to the principles and rights provided for in the UN charter and in the declaration of human rights.

The Revolutionary Command Council sitting on November 26, 1975, resolved as follows:

Iraqi Jews who left iraqi since 1948 are hereby entitled to return home.
All Iraqi Jews returning to Iraq under this resolution shall enjoy all lawful rights of Iraqi citizens under law.
The Iraqi Government shall guarantee to the returning Jews full constitutional rights enjoyed by Iraqi citizens. This will include equality and secure living without any discrimination.
This resolution shall by published in the official Gazette and shall be enforced by the Ministers concerned."

The Government of the Republic of Iraq
Embassy of Iraq
1801 P Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036

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