Tuesday 3 February 2026, 7:30 pm UK, 2:30 pm ET

The French embassy in Baghdad was the palatial home of Ezra and Khedouri Lawee. But for 50 years, France has not paid this Jewish family a single euro in rent. The French government has refused to return the property to its rightful Jewish owners, or compensate them for its continuing occupation. It is  questioning whether they voluntarily surrendered property ownership when they fled Iraq in the 1950s. The family’s case was heard in a French court on 19 January.

The grandson of Ezra Lawee, Philip Khazzam, who now lives in Canada, will be in online conversation with Lyn Julius to update us on the result,  and  tell us whether other Jews dispossessed of their properties in Arab countries might draw inspiration from his campaign.

Recording here.

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