New report reveals $59 billion in assets seized from expelled Egyptian Jews

A newly released report by the organization Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) sheds light on the rich cultural legacy and the eventual persecution and expulsion of Egypt’s Jewish community during the 20th century. The report also estimates that the Egyptian government unlawfully confiscated assets from these expelled Jews, with the current value of those assets reaching approximately $59 billion.

Jewish presence in Egypt stretches back to biblical times, with the Exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt to freedom in the Land of Israel remembered annually during the Passover holiday. The JJAC report serves as a reminder of that ancient connection while drawing attention to a more recent chapter of suffering and displacement endured by Egyptian Jewry.

"Unlike its ancient counterpart, the modern-day uprooting of Egyptian Jewry is not a tale of triumph but of tragedy," the report stated, noting that the 1930s marked the beginning of the end for Egyptian Jewry with the rise of the antisemitic Muslim Brotherhood, which blended militant Islamism with European-influenced fascism.

“From this point on, things began spiraling downward for Egyptian Jews,” the JJAC report noted. “Violence, arrests, bombings, blood libels, and the virus of Jew-hatred had spread like a biblical plague throughout Egypt.”

The Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza is a direct offshoot of the Egyptian Brotherhood.

Prior to Israel's re-establishment in 1948, the thriving Jewish community in Egypt numbered between 75,000 to 80,000. Approximately 63,000 Egyptian Jews fled the country between 1948 and 1966 as a result of systematic antisemitic persecution.

While the majority of Egyptian Jews emigrated to the State of Israel, those who stayed were accused of being “Zionist spies” and became increasingly isolated in Egyptian society. The modern-day Jewish exodus from Egypt continued as the living conditions deteriorated in the country, which was in open conflict with the neighboring Jewish state.

By the time Egypt and Israel signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in 1979, very few Jews remained in Egypt. Today, only two Jews reportedly live in Egypt – a small remnant of what was once a thriving community with ancient roots predating the Muslim Arab conquest of the region.

JJAC Executive Director Stanley Urman emphasized that Egyptian Jews played a central role in shaping the country’s economy, culture, and society.

“They were key in building the modern economic framework in every sector: agriculture, industry, commerce, and finance,” Urman said. “In particular, they played a vital role in developing the financial and economic systems that strengthened Egypt’s infrastructure and boosted its production capacity.”

Fluent in French and other Western languages, Egyptian Jews were key figures in trade between Egypt and the West during the early 20th century. Sylvain Abitbol, Co-President of JJAC, emphasized Egypt’s deep ties to Jewish history, stating, “Egypt has held a unique and significant place in the history of the Jewish people.”

Levana Zamir, president of the International Association of Jews from Egypt and vice president of JJAC, recalled a traumatic experience in Egypt where she experienced antisemitism firsthand.

“The Egyptians told us, ‘You are Zionists; you are enemies of this country, so we will confiscate all your assets.’ And they did,” Zamir said.

“Though many try to deny it, Jews are an indigenous people of the Middle East, having lived in Egypt and elsewhere in the region continuously for millennia... 1,500 years before the advent of Islam,” explained JJAC's Elie Abadie, who is co-president of the organization.

“The truth about the uprooting of Jews from Arab totalitarian regimes, dictatorships, and monarchies has been denied for over 75 years. This important project endeavors to set the record straight,” he argued.

“Over the past 70 years, the long and proud history of Jews in Egypt slowly and inexorably moved toward extinction with the passing of each elderly Jew,” Urman noted. “The mission of JJAC is to preserve this history in the name of truth and justice.”

The JJAC seeks to document the history and the largely forgotten expulsion of Jews not only from Egypt but from multiple Arab-majority countries and Iran.

In 1948, almost one million Jews resided in the Arab countries, from Morocco in the West to Iraq in the East. Today, only a small fraction remains, as the vast majority of Middle Eastern Jews fled mainly to Israel, as well as to France, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries.

France absorbed a large number of Jews from Algeria, whereas the United States and especially California became a preferred destination for affluent Iranian Jews fleeing the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

In February 2025, a delegation of Syrian Jews from the U.S. visited Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024.