Lebanon's Jewish Community Recalls Past as Recent Agreement Highlights Their Plight

Rabbi Elie Abadie left Lebanon more than fifty years ago, but his Lebanese roots remain an integral part of his identity. He maintains a strong connection to his homeland, listening to thousands of Arabic songs and preparing Lebanese dishes his mother taught his American wife. Abadie, who now serves as the senior rabbi emeritus of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf states, remembers Lebanon in the 1960s as a vibrant country with beautiful beaches and mountain resorts.

The once-thriving Lebanese Jewish community has largely faded from public memory as most of its members departed the country over decades. However, recent direct negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah, prompted by the latest conflict, have brought this community back into the spotlight.

Last month, Israel agreed to release five civilians detained in southern Lebanon in exchange for Lebanon's assistance in locating the bodies of Lebanese Jewish leaders who were abducted and killed during Lebanon's civil war in the 1980s. This development stirred painful memories for Lebanese Jews like Abadie, who was born in Beirut to parents who had emigrated from Syria.

Abadie's family, like many Lebanese Jews, departed after anti-Jewish sentiment intensified following the 1967 war between Israel and Arab nations. Security concerns have kept him away since, though he harbors a hope of returning one day to reopen Beirut's long-closed central synagogue.

Nada Abdelsamad, a Lebanese journalist and author of books on the community, noted that Lebanon once had a Jewish population of between 18,000 and 20,000, many residing in Beirut's Wadi Abu Jmil, nicknamed the Valley of the Jews. Following the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation, many Jews fleeing discrimination and violence in Arab countries like Syria and Iraq found refuge in Lebanon's religiously diverse environment.

The situation shifted significantly after the 1967 war. Lebanon became politically polarized, and the 1969 Cairo Agreement, which allowed Palestinian factions to operate freely within Lebanon, heightened community anxieties. Abadie recalls marches and protests chanting anti-Israel and anti-Jewish slogans, leading his family to leave.

The Lebanese civil war, beginning in 1975, further destabilized the community. Armed groups engaged in widespread kidnappings, targeting prominent members of the dwindling Jewish population. The Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, believed to be linked to Hezbollah, was implicated in these abductions.

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, at least seven Jews are among the 17,000 Lebanese individuals whose fate remains unknown since the end of the 15-year civil war. Among the missing are Isac Sasson, former president of Lebanon's Jewish community; Dr. Elie Hallak, known for treating patients of all faiths; and Salim Jamous, former secretary general of the Jewish community. Several other Jewish individuals were confirmed killed, with their bodies recovered at the time.

Bassem El Hout, an attorney representing Lebanon's Jewish community, stated that if the remains of missing Lebanese citizens are found, there is a legal process for their repatriation. Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, affirmed Israel's commitment to Jews worldwide, stating that this responsibility extends beyond Israel's borders and continues after death.

Judaism remains one of Lebanon's 18 officially recognized religious sects, but only a small number of Jews now reside in the country. Abadie estimates about 20 Jews are scattered throughout Lebanon, many not publicly identifying with their religion except to close friends and neighbors. While voting lists show thousands of Jews still registered in Beirut and Sidon, many are believed to live abroad.

Five synagogues remain in Lebanon, with the oldest located in Sidon. In Sidon's old quarter, a sign indicating "the Jewish quarter" still stands amidst shuttered synagogues and former Jewish-owned residences. Many Jews left Sidon for Latin America before Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and the last remaining Jews departed with copies of the Torah in 1985 upon Israel's withdrawal from the city.

Dany Liniado, who left Lebanon in 1975, eventually settled in Mexico, a country with a significant Lebanese Jewish diaspora that also includes communities in the U.S., France, and Brazil. She recounted an incident where her father was detained and assaulted shortly after she left Lebanon, being accused of being an Israeli agent before his release. Liniado expressed that it is too late for her to return, even for a visit, but she remains proud of her "Lebanese DNA," embracing a multifaceted identity as an Israeli, French, and Mexican citizen.