Arafat and Wadi Abu Jmil: Former Resident Speaks Out
September 19th, 2006 at 12:09 amTime to Shed Light on a Myth…
Comments from someone who was in the Jewish neighborhood of Wadi Abu Jmil at the time of the PLO:
I know about Arafat’s “protection of the Jews”
He did it only so he could use the area as a headquarters so that the Israelis wouldn’t bomb him for fear of killing Jews (you must understand how terrorists work) all the while sending rockets from those areas (for example my mom was in an apartment bldg that the ground floor had a rocket launcher that would fire rockets all night not letting the kids sleep and if you dared to tell them to stop they would threaten to kill you) another situation was a wealthy business man (no names) had a factory that the Arabs did not touch because he was Jewish, till the day they burned his factory down and lost everything.
Ultimately in the end the Jews saw it not safe anymore and that the country would not be in its past state in the future so then they had no more life left there. These are things you don’t hear of anymore because us Jews have picked up and moved on.
Personally I will not visit Lebanon till 10 yrs after peace,
Benjamin Hadid
Khalil Said,
September 21, 2006 @ 3:59 am
Hi, Benjamin,
At least you plan on visiting Lebanon some day. Heart wrenching account! This whole jews of Lebanon and Lebanese living together is becoming more of a myth but it may be one worth holdning on to. A realistic goal would be to fight for a bilateral Israeli-Lebanese peace agreement. Write a letter to Siniora and Olmert. Lebanon by its nature is a more open society. As a result, a peace agreement would enable Jews of Lebanese origin to return.
Best, Khalil
Rami Sahyoun Said,
October 1, 2006 @ 8:50 am
I disagree with Khalil on what he said that Lebanon is an open society. It used to be one, but not anymore. NONE in Lebanon dares to speak of a bilateral Israeli-Lebanese peace agreement. I refer to this on both the personal level AS WELL AS on the level of political parties. He who speaks of it is marked as a traitor. How can one label Lebanon as an open society when it is still a taboo to discuss such an agreement?
Hizbollah says it loud and clear: “There will never be peace with Israel”. Whether we like it or not, Hizbollah is the representative of the majority of the Shiites in Lebanon. As long as a large faction of the Lebanese are opposed to such an agreement, it remains unfeasible.
To be realistic, Lebanese jews are not in the equation. I doubt that any of the Lebanese that lost their nationalities - jews or others - will regain it; that is if they wanted it back in the first place.
Regards.
Peter H Said,
October 17, 2006 @ 12:56 am
Of course, people should be allowed to discuss a bilateral
peace treaty, but we have to remember the reason Israel
wants a treaty so that it won’t have to compromise with the Palestinians or the Syrians. A separate peace treaty would (rightly) be viewed as a betrayal of the Palestinians, and for that reason would never be accepted by Lebanese. Plus, after the horrors of Operation Just Reward, who is prepared to make peace with Israel?
RandyFX Said,
October 29, 2006 @ 1:50 am
RE: the overwhelming majoirty of Lebanese Jews immigrated to places where there was already substantial amounts of Lebanese comunities; Brazil, United States (LA, New York), Canada (Montreal), France, etc.
How lucky these Jews were to be accepted into existing communities. I do not understand why Palestinians in Lebanon, Jordan, elsewhere are still in refugees camps for 1948 or 1967. Is it against the law for Palestinians to leave these refugee camps? Please educate me…
david .s Said,
December 8, 2006 @ 4:39 am
ok so let me tell you . i have frinds from jordan egypt and lebanon
all of them say the same thing the palestinian are our “brothers”
as long there not in our cuntres they saw what happen in jordan
and lebanon years ago ….
and peter please dont speak in the name of lebanse people
and lebanon worry about the palestinian people so much
way they steel living in refuges camps 30 years after?
YoC Said,
January 2, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
First, i must say that i was surprised to see this web-site.
You have no idea! how it is refreshing and hope giving!
I’m 32yo from Israel.
I will share a common israeli opinion with you:
the majority in israel beleive that a peace with lebanon is very possible.
Regarding the Palestinians:
In 1994, Oslo - Rabin and Arafat came to an agreement that declares a temporary border for the Palestinian state, and a fixed border that will be based on the 1967 cease-fire line. those territories were a part of the Jurdanian kingdom and king Hussein gave them up to create the Palestinan state.
The refuges in lebanon and jordan CAN come back to these lands!
Why they are not doing so? i wont answer it because it will start a political debate, and this is NOT what this blog is about (i assume.. and happy for it)
To make it short and simple:
I think that if the leaders could sit and talk as you are doing, the middle east will become a much better place for al of us.
And again - thank you for creating this platform, i hope that a lot of ppl will come, read, talk..
it is much better option then the other one…
thank you
YoC
Howie Said,
January 11, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
YoC-
I think there is a fairly large element in Lebanese society that understands this. But I have certainly learned that talking peace with Israel would be political..if not literal suicide.
To me, it is a natural since I think we are a lot alike. But Iran, Syria and Hizboallah would never ever allow that to take place.
It is sad, tragic and a waste of lives and resources.