Jewish Scene
US, Iraq clash over Jewish trove
Associated Press
Published: 30.07.11, 08:52
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17 Talkbacks for this article
1. Send it ...
Beary White ,   Norway   (07.30.11)
Everything should be returned to Israel. Iraq is an islamic state, and islams main option is to destroy the other religions. Israel should get it and put it onto internet for the world to see.
2. return it for what? So that they can burn it?
Jonathan ,   Israel   (07.30.11)
3. this is jewish, israeli history, property not iraq.
ralph   (07.30.11)
4. #1..Get to see that the Jews were never persecuted
Edithann ,   USA   (07.30.11)
under Arab rule? That Jews survived and flourished for centuries, until the creation of Israel forced Arab governments to expell them for Israeli terrorism and false flags? How could there be an Israel full of European Jews, when it was also to 'free' the oppressed Arab Jews... Too funny, it's just too funny...All of Israel and especially Israeli's are just too too funny....Especially the lies they tell themselves.. TATA
5. How dare Iraq!!
David Cohen ,   Florida   (07.30.11)
Iraq wants its national treasures back because -- as has always been known -- it celebrates Iraqi Jewry as part of its cultural legacy much more publicly and proudly than the State of Israel ever did or will. The notion that Iraq would rightfully want this trove back is so incomprehensible to some of this site's readers that it makes you wonder what motivates their hatred...
6. #4 edithann
solomon ,   bklyn   (07.30.11)
1. There was persecution of Jews throughout. Example: Maimonides lived in Morocco to escape persecution in Spain. He then had to leave Morocco for the same reason. 2. Arab governments expelled Jews because Israel won their Independance War. There wasn't even time for 'false flags'. It was pure hatred. 3. Half of the Jews in Israel are from arab countries. Israel accepted them. The arab “refugee camps” show the kindness arabs extend to their fellow arabs. 4. You are just too too funny.
7. This belongs to jews who were kicked out . They just want to
(07.31.11)
destroy any evidence that jews existedbefore islam in the arab world .....don't send it back it doesn't belong to them !
8. These are the Jewish peoples not the non Jewish Iraqi people
jae ,   World   (07.31.11)
specificallt this is the inheritance of the iraqi jewish comunity and the greater Jewish communities. What nerve of iraq after murdering jews and taking a pro nazi line cleansing their country of jews , confiscating their property...now they want the religious books of jews???????????!! some are sick in the head
9. NO RETURNS
toronto ,   CANADA   (07.31.11)
do not give back any of the TREASURED-DOCUMENTS.. to the Iraqis'... they are not to be trusted.. the treasure, will wind up being kindling, for the nearest fire... the Treasure, is the property, of the Iraqi-Jews, now living in Israel... to where the Teasure must be directed... AHM YISROEL CHAI
10. Iraq wants "Museum of a People We Drove Out"
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (07.31.11)
The Germans seized Jewish artifacts intended for a future Museum to a Vanished People. Well, we didn't vanish. Now Iraq puts a claim on property belonging to a people they'd long abused before they were driven out. Apropos, I'm currently reading Martin Gilbert's "In Ishmael's House". Though there were occasional periods of tolerance when Jews thrived, they were mere breaks in a long history of oppression, discrimination and abuse. Iraq doesn't deserve to hold these artifacts.
11. Comment
Rose ,   North Carolina, USA   (07.31.11)
Iraq has not intention of restoring those materials. As soon as they arrive they will disappear and the history will be lost. They hate Jews and they will try to use this to wipe them out.
12. Should NOT Be Given To Iraq.
Maansingh ,   The Netherlands   (07.31.11)
The Jewish trove, some dating back to 1568, should NOT be given to Iraq ; it should be given, after restoration, to the Jewish diaspora from Iraq. AFTER Iraq establishes full diplomatic ties with the Jewish State of Israel, it (Iraq) can get copies of those Jewish troves -- NOT the originals.
13. The Iraqis should find something else to obsess about...
Rafi ,   US   (07.31.11)
These items belong to the Iraqi Jewish community - which thanks to violent persecution by successive Iraqi govt's - now lives mainly in Israel, US and France. And that is where these historical treasures belong. They are no more the property of any Iraqi govt than the art & treasure looted from the Jews of Europe by the Nazis belongs to today's European govts...
14. Used to be 25% Jewish
Ada ,   Scandinavia/France   (07.31.11)
Just a couple of generations ago, Baghdad was 25% Jewish. So was Tripoli. Cities like Vilnius and Odessa were ~40% Jewish, while Thessaloniki had a Jewish majority for centuries. These large and important modern cities have done their utmost to obliterate the fact they they were until relatively recently characterized by an influential Jewish presence affecting the lives of all their inhabitants.
15. Edithann, its nothing FUNNY about what Jews suffer?Be Human
mary of Bethany ,   singapore   (08.01.11)
guess you are one of those double standard people that only whine of Palestinians "forced out" (in truth leave under persuasion from their arab leaders who fooled them into thinking of returning to a jew-free palestine). but you will never accept that Jews were PERSECUTED (your very own word) and forced to leave arab nations. But they don't dwelled in slum-refugee tents for centuries to feed on sympathies of the world. these Jews move on in life and contributed to the new countries in science, medical and economics. i salute these Jews! you should apologise to those descendents of these Jews and take back your very insulting "funny"!
16. Being Interested v Having an Interest
Mark ben Josuf ,   USA   (08.01.11)
Israelis and American Jews may be interested. But they have no interest in the dispute. This is a dispute between the US government and the Iraqi government. These are spoils of a war waged by the US government on Iraq. And the US has been an instrumental player in abolishing the concept of "to the victor goes the spoils." That is part of what the Geneva Conventions were all about after the horrors of WWII. Now is a test of the principles the US and Israel signed on to when both signed the Geneva Conventions.
17. Jewish book trove found in a sewage filled basement in Baghd
E.Turner ,   Montreal - Canada   (08.07.11)
The Iraqi Jews were forced to leave Iraq without their possessions, their books or their memorabilia. Before they did so, they and their leaders endured terrifying and murderous treatement from the Iraqis. This trove does NOT belong to the Iraqi regime...they were part of the large possessions the Iraqi Jews were forced to leave behind.
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