26 Facts About Sassoon Eskell

Sir Sassoon Eskell, KBE, known as Sassoon Effendi was an Iraqi statesman, politician and financier.

Sassoon Eskell is regarded in Iraq as the Father of Parliament.

Sassoon Eskell was knighted by King George V in 1923.

Scion of an ancient, distinguished and aristocratic Jewish family of great affluence, the Shlomo-David's, Sassoon Eskell was born on 17 March 1860 in Baghdad, Iraq.

Sassoon Eskell was a cousin of the celebrated English war poet and author Siegfried Sassoon, through their common ancestor, Heskel Elkebir.

Sassoon Eskell's father was Hakham Heskel, Shalma, Ezra, Shlomo-David, a student of Hakham Abdallah Somekh.

Sassoon Eskell obtained his primary education at the Alliance Israelite Universelle in Baghdad.

Sassoon Eskell then went to London and Vienna at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna to receive his higher education in economics and law.

Sassoon Eskell was known to have been an outstanding student.

Sassoon Eskell finally returned to Constantinople to obtain another law degree.

Sassoon Eskell was deputed to London and Paris on special missions, including as a member of an Ottoman delegation to London in 1909 as under-secretary of state for trade and agriculture.

Sassoon Eskell had been to tea with me and I had Sasun Eff.

In 1920, after the end of the First World War, Sassoon Eskell returned to Baghdad from Istanbul and was appointed Minister of Finance in the first Iraqi government, a new provisional government under the premiership of Abd Al-Rahman Al-Naqib.

When Faisal I was enthroned as King of Iraq, a new ministry was formed on 1 September 1921 by Prime Minister Abd Al-Rahman Al-Naqib in which Sassoon Eskell was re-appointed Minister of Finance.

Sassoon Eskell was re-appointed Minister of Finance again in five successive governments until 1925 of Abd Al-Rahman Al-Naqib, Abd Al-Muhsin Al-Sa'dun and Yasin Pasha Al-Hashimi.

Sassoon Eskell is an old Jew, enormously tall and very thin; he talks excellent English, reads all the English papers, and is entirely devoid of any self-interest.

Sassoon Eskell made a very considerable name in the Turkish Chamber where he sat as a strong Committee man.

Sassoon Eskell demanded that Iraq's oil revenue be remunerated in gold rather than sterling; at the time, this request seemed bizarre since sterling was backed by the gold standard.

Sassoon Eskell thus secured countless additional millions of Iraqi dinars for the State.

Sassoon Eskell arbitrated and his views were accepted, whenever a conflict arose concerning the enforcement of internal regulations.

Sassoon Eskell was considered to be a far-sighted statesman with a profoundly deep knowledge of Iraq and other countries.

Sassoon Eskell was immensely well travelled and was well acquainted with most major European statesmen of the time.

Sassoon Eskell died in Paris, France, on 31 August 1932 while undergoing medical treatment.

Sassoon Eskell was buried at the Pere-Lachaise cemetery on Boulevard de Menilmontant in Paris.

Sassoon Eskell said that the stupendous efforts which had been exerted by the deceased in regulating and establishing on a solid footing, the affairs of the Kingdom of Iraq during the mandatory regime, will be remembered by future generations.

All leading Arabic daily newspapers similarly eulogised the late Sassoon Eskell's character and achievements, saying that the services which had been rendered by the deceased for the welfare of his country will immortalise his great name, adding that his death was an irreparable loss to the nation.