Egypt seized nearly $60 billion from Jews in "modern Passover," report reveals

While Jews around the world gather this week to celebrate Passover - the biblical story of liberation from slavery in Egypt - a newly released report reveals a modern-day exodus that ended not in freedom, but in silence and loss: the 20th-century ethnic cleansing of Egypt’s Jewish community.

The report, published by Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) after six years of research, documents the vibrant legacy and systematic uprooting of Egyptian Jewry. It estimates that the total value of Jewish-owned assets seized by the Egyptian state amounts to $59 billion in today’s terms.

“Unlike its ancient counterpart, the modern-day uprooting of Egyptian Jewry is not a tale of triumph but of tragedy, bringing to a grinding halt millennia of vibrant history and heritage,” the report states.

For thousands of years, Jews had lived in Egypt, contributing to its culture, economy, and public life. By the early 20th century, Egypt's Jewish population had reached nearly 60,000, with many fleeing persecution in Europe and integrating into the country’s commercial, governmental, and diplomatic circles.

“They played a pivotal role in building modern Egypt’s economy—across agriculture, industry, commerce, and finance,” said Dr. Stanley Urman, JJAC’s executive director. “They were instrumental in shaping the nation’s infrastructure and financial systems.”

But beginning in the 1930s, the situation deteriorated. The rise of fascism, the emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood, and growing hostility over the "Palestine question" fueled widespread antisemitism. Violence, arrests, bombings, and blood libels targeted Jews with increasing frequency.

The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 marked a turning point. Egyptian authorities, capitalizing on anti-Zionist sentiment, launched a campaign of arrests, asset seizures, and expulsions. The 1956 Suez Crisis led to the deportation of thousands, and by the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967, the last major wave of Egyptian Jews was either jailed or expelled.

By the early 1970s, Egypt’s Jewish community—once a cornerstone of its society—had virtually vanished. Today, according to the JJAC report, only two Jews remain in the country.

“The truth is that Jews are an indigenous people of the Middle East,” said Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie, co-president of JJAC. “They lived in Egypt for over 2,500 years, long before the rise of Islam. The denial of their erasure is a denial of history itself.”

The report forms part of JJAC’s broader initiative to document the expulsion of Jewish communities across the Middle East and North Africa—an exodus often ignored in global discourse.

“This is a tragedy that unfolded quietly, decade by decade,” Dr. Urman added. “Our mission is to preserve the memory of these communities, to speak the truth, and to pursue justice for generations erased not by choice, but by force.”

As families retell the story of the ancient exodus this Passover, JJAC hopes the story of Egypt’s modern-day Jewish exodus will also find its place at the table.