June 1 1941 – 6 Sivan 5701
An Iraqi mob rioted against the Jewish population of Baghdad. The British Mandate in Iraq had ended in 1932, though British forces remained in the country. Nevertheless, the independent Iraqi government was pro-facist, and the Nazis exercised considerable influence in the country; intense anti-Semitic rhetoric was the norm. In May 1941 Rashid Ali al-Gaylani became prime minister in a military coup and attempted to evict the British from their strategic bases in Iraq. In response, the British attacked, signing a cease-fire allowing them to retain military control of Baghdad on May 31. Rashid Ali’s government collapsed, and Iraqi radio blamed Jews for their pro-British activities. Next day, anti-Jewish riots broke out, in which 179 Jews were killed, thousands injured, property looted and homes destroyed. The underground Zionist immigration movement became much more active as a result, encouraging Iraqi Jews to leave for Palestine, although the real Iraqi exodus only occurred after the state of Israel’s establishment in 1948.