Not too much is known about the situation of Jews who originated in Muslim lands.  There are a number of books regarding these "Eastern" Jews, but the issue of their quick departure from their countries of origin is not well understood by the general populace of the world.  Why is that?  The most likely answer to this question, is that they left their ancestral homes quietly, to escape increasingly harsh persecution from their Muslim governments and their neighbors.  The number of Jews that lived in Muslim lands is not trivial - the table below contains approximate numbers of Jews who lived in Muslim countries in 1948 and in 2001.

Estimated Jewish populations in Muslim countries are as follows:

Many of these Jews fled to the newly created State of Israel and some moved to Western countries, notably France and the United States.

Many of these Jews had ancestry in the above countries, dating back over two thousand years.  Many had businesses and large estates in their home countries.  However, after 1948, when the pressure climbed on these Jews to leave, many left their property and businesses behind, to be expropriated by their neighbors and the governments.