Lebanon Holds Key to Fate of Missing Jews, Son Says
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Moshe Jamos is continuing his family's quest to learn the fate of his father, Shlomo Murad Jamos, a former leader of Beirut's Jewish community who has been missing since the 1980s. He believes Lebanon holds the key to this information, as part of ongoing negotiations involving Israel and the US. Jamos expressed skepticism but sees an opportunity for the Lebanese government to provide answers, which could also offer hope to Lebanese families with missing loved ones. The article details a wave of kidnappings and murders by Hezbollah between 1984 and 1986, which led to the disappearance and deaths of several prominent Jewish community members.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Moshe Jamos seeks answers on his father's fate, a former Beirut Jewish community leader missing since the 1980s.
- Jamos believes Lebanon holds the key to information on missing Jews, as negotiations continue.
- He sees an opportunity for the Lebanese government to provide answers for its own survival.
- A wave of kidnappings and murders by Hezbollah occurred in Lebanon between 1984 and 1986.
- Several prominent members of the Jewish community disappeared or were killed during that period.
Moshe Jamos, son of the former leader of Beirut's Jewish community Shlomo Murad Jamos, continues his family's struggle to uncover the truth about his father's fate. Shlomo Murad Jamos has been missing since the 1980s and is considered one of the last "martyrs" from Lebanon. Moshe Jamos shared his mixed feelings regarding recent developments in negotiations, particularly the painful missed opportunity following his mother Miriam's recent passing. Miriam, described as "the last wife of a kidnapped person still alive," had held onto hope for information about her husband, with her son noting her immense anticipation and prayers.
Jamos stated that "the ball is currently in the Lebanese court" as Beirut is expected to provide information as part of understandings between Israel, the United States, and Lebanon. Despite admitting to being "very skeptical," he sees an opportunity, suggesting that the issue of kidnapped and missing persons in Lebanon transcends sectarian lines and affects nearly every household. He believes the Lebanese government must provide answers for its own survival, and that resolving the fate of Lebanese Jews could offer hope to Lebanese families facing similar situations.
Jamos now views his efforts as a public mission, not just a personal one. He explained that "the state was in its formative years and did not want to deal with this at the time," adding that the "burden of proof and commemoration has now passed to us, the children." He highlighted that his parents helped many Jews immigrate to Israel, and their descendants now include officers and businesspeople. Jamos stressed the public's need to recognize these individuals who sacrificed their lives, asserting that "all deserve to know what happened to those who sacrificed their lives for them."
The systematic wave of kidnappings and murders was carried out by Hezbollah between 1984 and 1986. On August 15, 1984, the community's General Secretary Salim Murad Jamos was abducted near a synagogue in West Beirut; his body was never found, and he was recognized as a martyr about 15 years later. On March 29, 1985, four or five prominent leaders disappeared in a single night of abductions: community president Yitzhak Sasson, his deputy and pediatrician Dr. Eli Halak, burial society member Eli Surur, accountant Haim Cohen Halala, and Clement Dana. Months later, Professor Yitzhak Trab and Raul Mizrahi were also kidnapped, with Mizrahi found dead ten days after his abduction.