JD06
Active Member
1948 Jewish population: 20,000
2003: Fewer than 100
When Christian Arabs ruled Lebanon, Jews enjoyed relative toleration. In the mid-50’s, approximately 7,000 Jews lived in Beirut. As Jews in an Arab country, however, their position was never secure, and the majority left in 1967.
Fighting in the 1975-76 Muslim-Christian civil war swirled around the Jewish Quarter in Beirut, damaging many Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. Most of the remaining 1,800 Lebanese Jews emigrated in 1976, fearing the growing Syrian presence in Lebanon would curtail their freedom of emigration. Most Jews went to Europe (particularly France), the United States, and Canada.
In the mid-1980's, Hezbollah kidnapped several prominent Jews from Beirut — most were leaders of what remained of the country's tiny Jewish community. Four of the Jews were later found murdered. Nearly all of the remaining Jews are in Beirut, where there is a committee that represents the community.<SUP>1</SUP> Because of the current political situation, Jews are unable to openly practice Judaism. In 2004, only 1 out of 5,000 Lebanese Jewish citizens registered to vote participated in the municipal elections. Virtually none of those registered remains in the country. The lone Jewish voter said that most of the community consists of old women.<SUP>2</SUP>
Ive been back in lebanon for 5 years now but stll havent heard anything about a jewish community, never seen anything about thm on the news,and i no thy dont have anyone representing thm in parliament, i read anothr article which said thyve been living in lebanon since 1000bc, and wen thy emigrated thy didnt go to israel thy went to places wer thr is a large lebanese commuity e.g france, canada,anyway my question is do u thnk we can ever reach the level of tolerance tht we had b4 the war and have a large jewish community living and participating in politics?, is israel our enemy or all jews even lebanese jews?
2003: Fewer than 100
When Christian Arabs ruled Lebanon, Jews enjoyed relative toleration. In the mid-50’s, approximately 7,000 Jews lived in Beirut. As Jews in an Arab country, however, their position was never secure, and the majority left in 1967.
Fighting in the 1975-76 Muslim-Christian civil war swirled around the Jewish Quarter in Beirut, damaging many Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. Most of the remaining 1,800 Lebanese Jews emigrated in 1976, fearing the growing Syrian presence in Lebanon would curtail their freedom of emigration. Most Jews went to Europe (particularly France), the United States, and Canada.
In the mid-1980's, Hezbollah kidnapped several prominent Jews from Beirut — most were leaders of what remained of the country's tiny Jewish community. Four of the Jews were later found murdered. Nearly all of the remaining Jews are in Beirut, where there is a committee that represents the community.<SUP>1</SUP> Because of the current political situation, Jews are unable to openly practice Judaism. In 2004, only 1 out of 5,000 Lebanese Jewish citizens registered to vote participated in the municipal elections. Virtually none of those registered remains in the country. The lone Jewish voter said that most of the community consists of old women.<SUP>2</SUP>
Ive been back in lebanon for 5 years now but stll havent heard anything about a jewish community, never seen anything about thm on the news,and i no thy dont have anyone representing thm in parliament, i read anothr article which said thyve been living in lebanon since 1000bc, and wen thy emigrated thy didnt go to israel thy went to places wer thr is a large lebanese commuity e.g france, canada,anyway my question is do u thnk we can ever reach the level of tolerance tht we had b4 the war and have a large jewish community living and participating in politics?, is israel our enemy or all jews even lebanese jews?
