"ملف ١٦/٢ الاضطهاد المزعوم لليهود العراقيين" [و‎‎٣] (٨/٥)

COPY
DATED 28/10/49 RECD. 31/10/49
FROM FOREIGN OFFICE
TO
TELE CYPHER OTP
TELNO INTEL 390
BAHRAIN
Confidential.
Alleged persecution of Iraqi Jews.
You may be questioned about the treatment of Jews in
Iraq to which Israeli Government have recently drawn our
attention.
2. Enquiries made by H.M. Ambassador at Baghdad have
shown that the arrests of about 36 Jews have been made
following the distribution in Baghdad of a pro-Zionist pamphlet
in Hebrew printed in Tel Aviv and entitled "Methods of Action".
3. In replying to the press enquiries we intend to say that
as everyone knows we are strongly opposed to the persecution
of minorities anywhere. In the present case there appears
a ccnfliction of evidence and we have, in any case, no locus
standi for intervening in Iraq’s internal affairs.
4. For your own information we are calling Iraq's attenUon
informally to the amount of interest which this matter is
causing in the outside world and to the likelihood that it
will cause them difficulties at the United Nations and
elsewhere and suggesting that their best course is to
publish the facts.