▁who ▁have ▁raised ▁doubt ▁regarding ▁Isra eli ▁invol vement ▁claimed ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁highly ▁unlikely ▁the ▁Israel is ▁would ▁have ▁taken ▁such ▁measures ▁to ▁acceler ate ▁the ▁Jewish ▁ev acu ation ▁given ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁already ▁struggling ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁the ▁existing ▁level ▁of ▁Jewish ▁imm igration . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁ex od us ▁of ▁Jews ▁to ▁Israel , ▁there ▁were ▁about ▁ 1 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Ira qi ▁Jews . ▁Most ▁lived ▁in ▁Bag hd ad , ▁of ▁which ▁Jews ▁made ▁up ▁a ▁sixth ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population . ▁High ▁Jewish ▁populations ▁also ▁existed ▁in ▁the ▁towns ▁of ▁Bas ra ▁and ▁Mos ul . ▁ ▁Ira qi ▁Jews ▁const itute ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁oldest ▁and ▁most ▁histor ically ▁significant ▁Jewish ▁communities . ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁increased ▁sense ▁of ▁in security ▁among ▁the ▁Jews ▁of ▁Ira q . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁after ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁pro - N azi ▁R ash id ▁Ali ▁was ▁defeated , ▁his ▁soldiers ▁and ▁polic emen , ▁a ided ▁by ▁the ▁Arab ▁mob , ▁started ▁the ▁Far h ud ▁(" vi ol ent ▁dispos session "). ▁A ▁government ▁commission ▁later ▁reported ▁that ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 8 0 ▁Jews ▁had ▁been ▁killed ▁and ▁ 2 4 0 ▁wounded , ▁ 5 8 6 ▁Jewish ▁business es ▁pill aged , ▁and ▁ 9 9 ▁Jewish ▁homes ▁burn ed . ▁Jewish ▁sources ▁claimed ▁much ▁higher ▁cas ual ties .