Netanyahu Orders Talks on 11 Jews Executed in Lebanon in the 1980s

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his negotiating team with Lebanon to gather information regarding 11 Jews who were abducted and executed in Lebanon during the 1980s. The directive includes seeking the return of the bodies of these community leaders, whose fate has remained a painful historical footnote for decades. The Jewish community in Lebanon, with roots stretching back 3,000 years, dwindled significantly due to civil unrest and the rise of Hezbollah.

According to retired Colonel Dr. Jacques Neriah, a former advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on negotiations with Lebanon and Syria, Hezbollah, initially a Shiite Amal movement, began targeting Jews in 1984. The group sought to pressure Israel into releasing Shiite prisoners held in Israeli jails by abducting prominent members of the then-diminished Jewish community, including the community's secretary and president, as well as ordinary citizens like an electrician and a clerk.

When their demands were not met, Hezbollah began executing the hostages. Neriah recounted a personal story of trying to convince Dr. Eli Hallak, a physician who treated the poor and was safeguarding Jewish property, to leave Lebanon for France, but Hallak refused, believing he was safe. Hallak was later abducted and executed, a fate Neriah carries with regret. "It hurts me that I couldn't convince him to leave Lebanon. It's on my conscience," Neriah stated.

Over the years, until 1987, Hezbollah killed all 11 abducted Jews. Neriah estimates that recovering the bodies of the ten whose burial places are unknown is highly unlikely, as Hezbollah reportedly disposed of them in landfills. However, he believes it is still important to uncover the full story of their ordeal. Neriah also noted that some Lebanese media outlets have dismissed the Israeli request, arguing that the individuals were Lebanese citizens and therefore their bodies should not be returned to Israel.