When the Jews were granted freedoms they prospered, but suffered crushing poverty when these were curtailed. Many Jews in Egypt, Iraq and Aden achieved success in business and commerce, and their contributions to the Arab economies were highly disproportionate to their numbers. When they departed, Jewish families communities were forced to leave behind, or were expropriated of, assets worth many billions of dollars.
Jewish sweets vendor in Syria during First orld WarFrom the collection of Beit Hatfutsot
Shop of Isaac Gabbai in Egypt, 1930From the collection of Beit Hatfutsot