Jews in Lebanon
Cedars and Promised land - ranging Lebanon between Arabs,
Christs, and Jews - Herzl Israel and PLO
<LEBANON,
Middle East country called after a mountain chain
running parallel to the Mediterranean coast N. of Israel. The name
Lebanonis derived from lavan (lbn; "white") in reference to the
snow covering its peaks. It was variously called Lebanon in Hebrew,
Libnah in Phoenician, Labnanu
in Assyrian, and Lablani or Niblani in Hittite.
In Ancient Times.
[God Baal Lebanon - cedars and
firs from the Lebanon mountains for Egypt and Assyria]
Like most high mountains, Mt. Lebanon was imagined in early times to
have been the abode of a god, Baal Lebanon, who is sometimes identified
with Hadad. The area was inhabited by a number of different peoples in
the prehistoric period. It appears to have been eventually settled by a
West-Semitic population, later designated Canaanite and in Hellenistic
sources Phoenician.
The mountains of the Lebanon, rich in cedars and other coniferous
trees, attracted the attention of the rulers of the treeless Nile
Valley at an early date. As early as the fourth dynasty, the pharaoh
Snefru probably sent to Byblos for cedars, firs, pines, and other
trees. For 1,500 years the forests of the Lebanon supplied Egypt with
wood for a number of purposes, including shipbuilding and construction
of temples, sacred and funerary boats, and doors for palace gates.
As the mountains became denuded, more and more harbors were opened by
the Egyptians. From the 12th century B.C.E. onward the Assyrians
competed with the Egyptians for the wood of the Lebanon.
Tiglath-Pileser I advanced into the region in order to obtain wood for
building temples to the gods Anu and Adad.
In 877 B.C.E. Ashurnasirpal II took firs and pines from the Lebanon
back to Assyria. The devastation caused by Sennacherib among the cedars
and firs is described in the Lord's answer to Hezekiah's prayer (II
Kings 19:23).
According to (col. 1542)
Isaiah, the trees of the Lebanon rejoiced when Sargon of Assyria passed
away (14:8).
[Lebanon as a border region of a
"promised land" - cedars and firs for the Jewish temple]
In general, the Lebanon marks the northern boundary of the Promised
Land (Deut. 1:7; 3:25; 11:24: Josh. 1:4; 9:1). Its cedars are praised
as the finest of trees (I Kings 5:13) and are contrasted with the
bramble in Jotham's parable (Judg. 9:15). Isaiah praises the cypress,
the plane tree, and the larch of the region (60:13). In the Song of
Songs and other books of the Bible the wild animals, waters, trees,
flowers, wine, and snow of the Lebanon are described in glowing terms.
When Solomon built the Temple, he was supplied with cedars from the
Lebanon by his ally Hiram, king of Tyre (I Kings 5:15-24), who sent the
logs in floats to a harbour near Jaffa (Tell Qasila; II Chron. 2:15).
[[According to Jewish archeology there was no
Solomon temple, see: The Bible Unearthed from Silberman and
Finkelstein]]
The same procedure was repeated for the construction of the Second
Temple [[which is the only one]], at which time the forests belonged to
the king of Persia (Ezra 3:7).
In Hellenistic and Roman times the Lebanon was divided among the
various Phoenician cities then largely Hellenized; it became part of
the province of Syria, and from the third century a separate province,
Phoenicia (Augusta Libanensis).
Post-Second Temple and Arab
Periods.
[Cedars for Phoenician cities, for
the Greeks, Romans and for Byzantium]
In post-biblical times, the forests of the Lebanon continued to be
exploited by the Phoenician cities in whose territories they stood for
the benefit of the Hellenistic and Roman rulers. In the seventh century
(the Byzantine period) the mountaineers of the region adopted the
theological views of the emperor Heraclius, becoming Monotheletes; the
followers of this sect were called Maronites after their patriarch John
Maron. They maintained their religion throughout the Arab domination.
[M.A.-Y.]> (col. 1543)
[7th-15th century: Jews in Lebanon]
There is scant information about the existence of Jews between the
seventh and 15th centuries, but small Jewish communities continued to
exist in the area which is now Lebanon. The Arab author al-Baladhuri
relates that the Caliph Mu'awiya settled Jews in *Tripoli. The
Palestinian academy established its seat in Tyre in 1071. *Benjamin of
Tudela, in the 12th century, relates that the Jews lived in the (col.
1543)
same area as the *Druze, with whom they traded and engaged in various
crafts. In crusader times, the Lebanon was divided between the count of
Tripoli and the king of Jerusalem, remaining in the hands of the
crusaders almost until the end of the Latin kingdom (1291).
[H.Z.H.]
[[The Crusaders in their "Christian" fanatism killed all Jews which
were in their way, see Encyclopaedia Judaica: Crusades (for
European Jews) and see also the summary of the Jewish history Scrolls
of Fire (for the Jews in Palestine)]].
[19th century: Jews with Druzes in
the Lebanon - transferred Jews to Rosh Pinah]
There were also Jews living in the village districts. In the mountain
townlet of Dayr al-Qamar, situated halfway between *Beirut and *Sidon,
there was a Jewish community (80 families at the beginning of the 19th
century), which engaged in agriculture and the breeding of silkworms,
as well as commerce, the manufacture of soap, and the extraction of
some iron from the surrounding ore deposits. Some Jews also lived in
villages within the direct or outlying vicinity of Dayr al-Qamar
(including Mukhtara, 'Ayn Qanya, 'Ayn Zahlata, and others).
The common factor which characterized almost every one of these Jewish
concentrations was their dependency on the Druze inhabitants, with whom
they coexisted on friendly terms. In 1860, as a result of the
interdenominational war between the Druzes and the Maronites of
Lebanon, the Druzes gradually abandoned the region of Dayr al-Qamar.
They were followed by the Jews who settled in Beirut, the townlet of
Aley (southeast of Beirut), and Sidon. In the interior of Lebanon, the
only remaining Jewish community was to be found in Hasbayya, on the
slopes of the Hermon, where its presence was already known from the
18th century.
[[In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened and all intermediate trade was lost
for the Arab side, so the whole Middle East region was impoverishing,
also Lebanon, see in the analysis
of Haarmann]].
Most of the Jews of this townlet were transferred to Rosh Pinah in 1888
by Baron Rothschild but it was only in 1913 that the last three
families left [[upper Galilee]]. The relations between the Jews and the
ruling Maronite community were at times strained and there were several
blood libels.
[20th century: Jewish immigration
from Greece and Turkey]
The development of modern Lebanon was accompanied by an increase in the
Jewish population, most of which was of Sephardi origin. The Jews
arrived in Lebanon, especially to the capital, Beirut, from Greece and
Turkey, and they gradually became an important commercial factor. By
1929 there were about 5,000 Jews in Beirut alone. The Jews of Lebanon
were considerably influenced by their proximity to the Jewish
population of Palestine but they did not suffer from the establishment
of the State of Israel in 1948 because the government foiled attempts
to attack them.> (col. 1544)
[E.A.]
Contemporary Period.
[1948 no exodus - 1951: about
9,000 Jews]
[[...]]
<Immediately after the outbreak of the Israel War of Independence
(1948) the Lebanese government interned in a camp in Baalbek a number
of Palestinian Jews, who happened to be in the country, but they were
released shortly afterward and permitted to return home. The small
Jewish community of Saida (Sidon), numbering 200 persons, was expelled
in 1948 and the property of its members confiscated "for the
Palestinian Arab refugees". However, the government ordered the police
to protect the Jews of Saida and enable them to return to their homes
and property.> (col. 1545)
[[...]]
<The number of Jews in Lebanon, estimated
at 5,200 in 1948, rose in 1951 to about 9,000, of whom 6,961 were
Lebanese citizens and about 2,000 stateless Jewish immigrants from
Syria and Iraq. The Lebanese government allowed these immigrants to
remain in the country, and some of them even acquired Lebanese
citizenship.> (col. 1544)
<In 1950 the Lebanese government permitted Syrian and Iraqi Jews who
had found sanctuary in Beirut to cross the frontier into Israel, under
the supervision of the Lebanese-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission. The
government also set up guards on the Jewish quarters of Beirut whenever
occasions warranted (May 1948; July 1958; June 1967), thus avoiding
serious attacks by Muslim nationalists. Apart from the blowing up of
the *Alliance Israélite Universelle school in Beirut in 1950, Lebanese
Jews remained unharmed, although Arab nationalists forced Jews to
donate money for "Arab Palestine".
the Lebanese opposition parties, and particularly the Socialist Party,
who were led by a member of parliament, Emil Bustani, several times
demanded that Jewish property be confiscated and that Jews be
discharged from government employment.
In 1952 the government was forced to discharge two Jewish officers from
the Lebanese army, but a few Jewish officials continued to work for the
government. Nor did the authorities limit the freedom of movement of
Jews, and, except briefly in 1954, they were free to leave and enter
Lebanon at any time. The same freedom was enjoyed by Syrian Jews who
had settled in Lebanon. Jews were also permitted to sell their property
and take money out in unlimited amounts. At no time were there ever
limitations on their means of livelihood. Most of them were merchants,
and a few were officials or artisans.> (col. 1545)
<Until 1958 the number of Jews remained at about 9,000, Lebanon
being the only Arab country in which the Jewish population increased
after 1948.> (col. 1544)
[since 1958: exodus of the Jews -
only several hundred going to Herzl Israel]
Only after 1958 (col. 1544)
did a large exodus of Jews begin, as a result of the political unrest
in the country. Many emigrated to the U.S. and Europe and several
hundred went to Israel. In early 1967 the number of Jews remaining in
Lebanon was estimated at about 5,000, but after the Six-Day War (June
1967), emigration increased. In 1968 the number of those remaining was
estimated at about 3,000, almost all of whom lived in Beirut, with a
few families remaining in Tripoli.> (col. 1545)
[since June 1967: limitations and
broken economy provokes increasing Jewish emigration]
<Only after Six-Day War in June 1967 were limitations imposed on
non-Lebanese Jews, who were obliged to seek work permits from the
authorities and not every applicant's request was granted. This was one
of the reasons for the increase in Jewish emigration from Lebanon after
June 1967. Another reason was the partial paralysis of the Lebanese
economy, particularly in the tourist industry, since Christian pilgrims
no longer needed to pass through Lebanon in order to visit the Old City
of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Some of the Jewish emigrants, particularly
the young people, went to Israel.> (col. 1545)
[Situation 1968: Jewish
communities and Jewish schools are working]
<In 1968 about 150 Jews lived there [[in Saida
(Sidon)]].> (col. 1545)
<In 1968 there were still two Jewish banks, the
Safrah Bank and the Société Bancaire du Liban (S.A.L., formerly Zilkhah
Bank).> (col. 1545)
<The Beirut Jewish community in 1968 had a synagogue and other
communal institutions, and there were synagogues in Saida and in the
summer resorts Bhamdoun and Aley. In this period there were still
Jewish schools in Beirut and Saida. Jewish pupils also attended
Christian schools, especially high schools, both because no Jewish
school contained all high school classes, and because of the preference
of Lebanese Jews for studying French. Even in Jewish schools emphasis
was placed on the study of French. Arabic was studied to a lesser
extent, and Hebrew even less, although the study of Hebrew was not
restricted by the (col. 1545)
authorities. The Jewish and Christian school networks have successfully
combated illiteracy among the younger generation, but very few studied
at institutions of higher learning. Most of the younger generation went
into business. In 1968 it seemed that the end of the Lebanese Jewish
community was near.> (col. 1546)
<By 1970 the community had decreased to about 1,500.
[H.J.C.]> (col. 1546)
<Attitude Toward Israel.
[Lasting tensions: Muslims want
contacts to Arabs - Christians want peace with Herzl Israel - Muslims
want integration of Palestinian refugees - Christians don't want the
integration because Muslim percentage would rise]
Lebanon participated with the other Arab states, though not very
intensively, in the 1948-49 war against Israel. On March 23, 1949, an
armistice agreement was signed at Rosh Ha-Nikrah, fixing the former
international boundary between Palestine and Lebanon as the armistice
demarcation line; accordingly, Israel evacuated 14 villages in Lebanese
territory which it had occupied during the fighting. From then on, the
Lebanese-Israel border was generally quiet for a period of almost 20
years: there were few serious violations of the armistice, farmers from
both countries met frequently in a friendly manner, and occasional
crossings of the border by individuals were quietly solved by contacts
between the Israel forces and the Lebanese gendarmerie. Israel also
allowed Maronite dignitaries from Lebanon to visit their coreligionists
in Israel.
This state of affairs was a result not only of Lebanon's military
weakness, but also of the delicate balance between Christians and
Muslims in the Lebanese population. While many Christians, especially
the Maronites, may have agreed to peace with Israel, they had to take
into account the desire of the Muslims for stronger contacts with the
Arab world. For the same reason, the Christians were opposed to the
integration of the Palestinian refugees (between 150,000-200,000,
mostly Muslims, from both the 1948 and 1967 wars), although their
integration into the thriving Lebanese economy would not have been too
difficult. Consequently, most refugees continued to live in camps and
were not granted citizenship.
[[Supplement: Wild Herzl Free
Mason CIA Israel
Generally Israel is working with the Herzl program according to his
book "The Jewish State" which says that Arabs can be driven away as the
natives in the "USA" were driven away (here),
and the borderline in the east is the Euphrates according to First Mose
chapter 15 phrase 18 (see the Bible). Add to this Herzl Israel was
founded without
definition of any borderlines. Add to this Israel is cooperating
with Free Masonry of the "USA" and with the criminal CIA so it's an
"American" satellite. Add to this there are the Palestinian refugees
driven out already not only in Lebanon, but a big part of the
Palestinians had to fly to Jordan. Arab villages in Israel are
destroyed or empty, the Tel Aviv Airport is built where a Palestinian
town was placed etc. Add to this the world media are never speaking of
or with the Palestinians who are already mostly driven out as Herzl was
announcing it. So it's no wonder that the Arab League is financing a
Palestinian guerrilla force as the last means. This Palestinian
guerrilla is named a terror organization in this article. Basically
there must be asked who was the first terrorist in Middle East. Herzl
was, since 1896, and the "USA" are supporting this. There is no word
about this in the Encyclopaedia Judaica...]]
[1967: struggle about cease-fire
resolutions - Palestinian terror organization PLO - Lebanon ranging
between Christians, Arabs and Jews - PLO opens a northern front against
Herzl Israel]
As a member of the *Arab League, Lebanon participated in various Arab
summit conferences, political propaganda and economic campaigns against
Israel, but it did not engage in military actions, not even during the
Six-Day War (June 1967). Lebanon therefore claimed that the Armistice
Agreement of 1949 remained in force and that the Mixed Armistice
Commissions should constitute the channel of communication between the
two countries, whereas Israel held the view that the truce of 1948 and
the subsequent armistice regimes collapsed in the 1967 war and Israel's
relations with all its neighbours were based on the cease-fire
resolution of June 1967.
A A gradual deterioration of the situation along the Israel-Lebanon
border began in October 1968, when Palestinian terrorist organizations,
which had previously limited themselves to fund-raising and propaganda
in Lebanon, initiated armed attacks across the border. Gradually,
thousands of terrorists concentrated on the slopes of Mount Hermon,
overlooking the north of Israel. On Dec. 26, 1968, members of the
"Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine" flew from Beirut to
Athens, where they attacked an El Al plane at the city's international
airport. In retaliation, an Israel commando unit destroyed a number of
planes at Beirut airport. From that time, the issue of whether or not
to allow terrorist activity against Israel from Lebanese territory
became a major focus of political life in the country.
The terrorists' demand for freedom of movement and action throughout
the country and across the border was supported by the Arab
"revolutionary" states, mainly Egypt and Syria, and extremist Muslim
groups in Lebanon. Lebanon tried to prevent a confrontation with the
Palestinian terrorists and made concessions to them, thus contributing
to their growing strength. By April 1969 the government had to (col.
1546)
resign because of widespread violence inside Lebanon that threatened to
deteriorate into full-scale civil war. Lebanon's government crisis
lasted for seven months, during which time the terrorists strengthened
their position in the country. Joint operations against Israel from
southern Lebanon by al-Fath and al-Sa'ika (anti-Israel "storm troops"
operated by the Syrian army) brought about an open clash between the
authorities and the terrorist organizations.
Isolated in the inter-Arab arena and strongly censured by Syria,
Lebanon accepted Nasser's mediation, and signed an agreement with the
terrorists on Nov. 3, 1969, guaranteeing both the territorial integrity
and sovereignty of Lebanon and the interests of the terrorists. It
recognized the terrorists' presence and activity in Lebanon. It
assigned them special areas, and points through which they could
penetrate into Israel, but forbade shooting across the border, in order
not to incriminate Lebanon.
The terrorists exploited the government's weakness and established
themselves along the entire Lebanese-Israel border in an effort to
convert Lebanon into a "northern front". This brought a sharp rise in
the frequency of anti-Israel attacks from Lebanese territory including
a bazooka attack on a school bus from Moshav Avivim (May 1970) and
frequent acts of mortar shelling, mining, and sabotage against the
settlements of Upper Galilee, including the town of Kiryat Shemonah.
Israel retaliated from time to time by dispatching armoured units and
mopping up terrorist bases.
[R.CO.]
[[We are all waiting for human rights. But secret services of "USA" and
Herzl Israel don't want human rights, because without war there is no
secret service needed, and Arabs do not either want human rights as it
seems because they would have to give rights to the women. So the
Middle East conflict will last for centuries...]]
Bibliography
-- L.F. Abel: Géographie de la Palestine, 1 (1933), 340-4
-- I. Ben Zvi, in: Zion, Me'assef, 2 (1927), 76-79; 4 (1930), 1942-54
-- idem, in: Tarbiz, 3 (1931/32), 436-51
-- idem: Erez Yisrael ve-Yishuvah (1967), index
-- S. Landshut: Jewish Communities in the Muslim Countries of the
Middle East (1950), 54-56
-- E. de Vaumas: Le Liban (1954)
-- N. Robinson, in: J. Freid (ed.): Jews in the Modern World, 1 (1962),
50-90
-- Pauly-Wissowa, s.v.
-- Press, Erez, s.v.> (col. 1547)> (col. 1547)
Sources
|
Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971: Lebanon, vol. 10, col. 1542
|
Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971: Lebanon, vol. 10, col. 1543-1544
|
Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971: Lebanon, vol. 10, col. 1545-1546
|
Encyclopaedia Judaica 1971: Lebanon, vol. 10, col. 1547-1548
|
