Israel Matzav

Beirut’s last Jews

I knew that there were still Jews left in Damascus and Tehran, most of whom would like to leave. But until I read this article, I didn't realize that there are still forty Jews left in Beirut - who stubbornly wish to stay.

Hat Tip: FailedMessiah.com

Throughout the interview, I repeatedly asked Moshe why he had insisted on staying in Beirut, but he kept changing the subject. Finally, at the end of our discussion, he deigned to reply.

“Why did I linger? My goal was twofold, or perhaps threefold. I wanted to locate the Jewish bodies that Hizbullah had kidnapped and which we weren’t able to bring to burial. I wanted to protect the people in the community until almost everyone left Lebanon. And there was a personal reason: to prove that I have the right to be in Lebanon. I attempted to maintain the Jewish presence in Lebanon. To prove that if there is hatred against the Jews, it was a result of ignorance.”

Read it all.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:50 PM