A descendant of a prominent Iraqi Jewish family is seeking justice and redress from the French government, which currently operates its embassy in Baghdad from the mansion once owned by his ancestors.
Beit Lawee, under construction in 1937, was once the palatial Baghdad seat of a Jewish family that fled to Canada in the 1950s, after the war that created Israel made life more precarious for Jews in Arab countries.Courtesy of Philip Khazzam © The Globe and Mail
A descendant of a prominent Iraqi Jewish family is seeking justice and redress from the French government, which currently operates its embassy in Baghdad from the mansion once owned by his ancestors.
The story, uncovered by The Globe and Mail, sheds light on a post-colonial scandal involving property loss, diplomatic silence, and unresolved historical grievances.
The mansion, a symbol of wealth and influence in early 20th-century Baghdad, was abandoned when the family fled Iraq amid rising anti-Jewish violence in the 1940s and 1950s. Like thousands of other Iraqi Jews, they were forced to leave behind homes, businesses, and assets as part of a mass exodus.
Decades later, their former residence serves as the French diplomatic mission — a fact that has prompted outrage and demands for acknowledgment and restitution. The heir, who remains anonymous for legal reasons, has been lobbying for years for the French state to recognize its use of the property and engage in negotiations for compensation or symbolic recognition.
So far, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has remained silent, offering no comment on the matter.
Legal experts say the case raises complex questions about ownership, historical responsibility, and diplomatic immunity. But for the family, it’s a simple matter of justice.
"This is not just about property," the descendant told The Globe and Mail. "It’s about dignity. It’s about a government occupying what was taken from us without a word, without a gesture."
The story adds a new layer to the broader conversation about historical restitution, particularly as Western governments face growing pressure to confront the legacies of displacement, colonialism, and ignored claims from communities forced into exile.
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