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Demonstrations for Iraqi Jews Scheduled in Israel; Belgian Jews Appeal to Government

April 13, 1971
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The Israeli branch of the World Jewish Congress announced that it will hold a demonstration and prayer service tomorrow at the Wailing Wall to call attention to the plight of Jews in Iraq. According to reports made public at a meeting of the WJC’s political committee here yesterday, 140 Iraqi Jews face trial and 40 have already been arrested. The condition of Iraq’s remaining 2,500 Jews was described as “terrible.” They are allegedly deprived of all normal human and civil rights. Tomorrow’s demonstration will be held in conjunction with the Iraqi immigrants’ association here. It will be attended by Israel’s chief rabbis. The WJC said it would urge action on behalf of Iraqi Jews by the United Nations and WJC branches all over the world. (In Brussels, Belgian Jewry appealed to its government leaders today to intervene with the Iraqi government over the position of Jews in that country. The coordinating committee of Belgian Jewish organizations sent appeals to Prime Minister Gaston Eyskones, Foreign Minister Pierre Harmel and George Aronstein, chairman of the Belgian League for Human Rights. The Federation of Belgian Jewish Youth sent a protest to the Iraqi Embassy here.)

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