If you've ever wondered why Jews and Israelis are easily conflated in the Arab world, The Beirut Daily Star explains why:
BEIRUT: Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud proposed on Monday that the Cabinet amend the legislation that currently labels Lebanese Jews as "Israelis" to "Jewish Lebanese."
A press release by Baroud's office said on Monday that the interior minister has submitted the proposal to be discussed by the Cabinet.
Members of Lebanon's Jewish sect are referred to as Israelis on on their identification cards and on electoral lists.Baroud's proposal asked the Cabinet to adopt a draft law to differentiate between a sect "whose rights are legal and protected by the Constitution and between the subjects of an occupying entity."
"The Jewish sect in Lebanon is recognized, and its rights are guaranteed by the ninth article of the Lebanese Constitution that guarantees all the Lebanese freedom of religion," Baroud added.
Once again, we have here yet another example of Arab apartheid: Jews are "okay" so long as they live as small minorities within larger Arab societies. But, as soon as the Jews have their own state in which they are self-governing (and no longer have to go to the back of the bus), they become "an occupying entity." Meanwhile, the hypocritical Arab authorities are trying to show how "tolerant" they are. They say "See how accepting we are of our Jewish citizens." This charade is just more evidence for the Arab war against the Jewish right of self-determination.
ReplyDeleteYou are right,Victor, Jews are OK as long as they are a RELIGIOUS minority with no political aspirations.
ReplyDeleteIt's still curious how the Lebanese Jews came to be known as Israelis- I'mwondering if it is just a mistranslation of the French 'Israelite',which just means 'Jew'.
I have found it myself puzzling. It is even functional for islam to have those who are of other faiths then pretend to protect them from harm by keeping them a second class citizens and subjugate them to the worst of humiliation. It is a contradiction. How can this be? Pretending to protect by keeping the worst humiliation and arbitrary beating and pogroms... If this is protecting I would rather die than be protected.
ReplyDeleteall your previous comments shows how ignorant you are about the subject. The Jews in Lebanon had been known by the local population as "Israeli" since the days of the Ottoman Empire and the change was done at the request of the representatives of the Lebanese Jewish community.
ReplyDeleteATM
ReplyDeleteThey could not have been known as 'Israeli'in the Ottoman empire since the word did not exist until 1948.
lebanon was the only arab country where the jewish population grew after the creation of the state of israel.
ReplyDeletethe jews used to live in peace in wadi abou jmil. they lived side by side along with muslims and christians.
they were even opposed to the zionist movement.besides there is no such thing as israel
britain brought the jews into palestine, and they are the ones who occupied the land and never lived in peace with their neighbours and the arabs have been fighting the zionists for 60 years so dont be very smart cause ur not.
n did grow in 1948 because Lebanon was a safer place than Syria or Iraq for Jews. But look at it now - only 30 Jews left - and they are too scared to admit who they are. Lebanon in general is in a sorry state with militias vying for power and the Syrians trying to take over. Suggest you put your own house in order before lecturing the Jews about Palestine.
ReplyDeleteWow...after reading these comments I realized that ignorance is not bliss at all, it's a very very dangerous thing.
ReplyDeleteVictor's comment is so twisted. He mentions 'Arab apartheid' while this is being practiced daily in occupied Palestine by the Israelis, and all this after the Muslims and Christians of Palestine had lived for centuries in peace with the Jewish people in that area.
And self-determination? What happened to the right of self-determination for the Palestinians? It was definitely not a 'land without people' as the Zionist propaganda proclaimed. There were, and still are, people there and in camps of the surrounding countries, who were promised independence, the same independence which was achieve in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
The Jews of Lebanon will remain just that, like any other religious sect in the country. All sects are minorities in Lebanon. That's what makes it so wonderful and unique. They have no need to create a state of their own. They were never persecuted as the Jews in Europe were. They were protected, and many Jews sought refuge in Lebanon after the Spanish inquisition and during Nazi Germany.
Fight ignorance, not each other. And seek the truth.
Hello Anonymous
ReplyDelete'A land without a people' was first coined not by Zionists but by a Chrstian Restorationist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_land_without_a_people_for_a_people_without_a_land
The Plaestinians were offered self-determination several times but always turned it down.
The Lebanese model has failed in practice despite its good intentions
- many Christians have left, the Shi a, Sunnis and Druse are at each others' throats and there are hardly any Jews to speak of.
Just a comment- it's not apartheid when you are in fact a minority .. I wonder what you call what Israel does in Palestine?
ReplyDeleteWhy don’t you Email me I’m a Lebanese Jew that lives in South Lebanon I’ll give you better insight then all the people that base their comments from hearsay an guesses my Email is nabilwisambakir@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWhy don’t you Email me I’m a Lebanese Jew that lives in South Lebanon I’ll give you better insight then all the people that base their comments from hearsay an guesses my Email is nabilwisambakir@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteIgnore taqiya by Nabil Wisam Bakir. He is NOT a Jew, of course. He is a Lebanese Sunni boy living in Mexico. He has been outed by Jews many times due to his numerous lies. How dare he post his propaganda drivel here!
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, the labeling of Lebanese Jews as "Israelis" on their IDs has nothing to do with the State of Israel.
ReplyDeleteIt goes back to the French Mandate, when the language of administration was French.
In French the word "Israelite" is a synonym for "Juif/Jew". But it is not the same as "Israelien", which means Israeli.
When translated into Arabic, the two words become one, but in fact they have a different meaning. This is why the Lebanese State is now changing the term from "Israely" to "Yahudy", in order to avoid confusion.
It is time that there was once more a vibrant Jewish community in Lebanon.
Welcome home!
That's what I thought - confusion between 'israelite' et 'israelien'.
ReplyDeleteIf Lebanon gets its house in order and gets rid of Hezbollah, who knows, perhaps Jews might think of going back to live there....
Putting the Lebanese house in order is easier said than done.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if interested, see the Beirut Synagogue fan page on face book.