Debbie Schlussel: What Happened to Beirut's Jews?: How Hezbollah Murdered Lebanon's Jews in the '80s
My dad (work by him here and here) reminded me of this article from his wing of the DebbieSchlussel.com library archives. The article describes what "The Organization of the Oppressed of the Earth," Hezbollah's original name, did to Lebanon's Jews. In the past, I've written about the Lebanese Jews named below, including information not included in the article (but which I've provided in brackets).
I reprint the article in its entirety, and ask the question: "Legitimate resistance" or murderous terrorist group that targets innocents? I report, but the answer is apparent. You don't need to decide.
Shi'ite Group Kills Lebanese Jewish HostageFebruary 21, 1986
Paris (JTA [DS: Jewish Telegraphic Agency])--The body of a Jewish Hostage shot and badly beaten before his death was found last Sunday in west Beirut. Ibrahim Benesti, 54, is the third Jewish hostage to be murdered in two months by a Shi'ite fundamentalist group.
The gang, "The Organization of the Oppressed of the Earth," said they have kidnapped two more Jewish hostages. In addition, they are believed to be holding five other Jews.
Benesti's body was found dumped near a vegetable market in the Kaskas area which borders the Green Line separating de facto the Christian east from the predominantly Moslem west Beirut. He had been shot once in the back of the head but medical examiners say he had been badly tortured and beaten before his "execution."
A statement found pinned on the body said he had been killed "for having been an Israeli spy" and as an example "to all other Israeli agents." Police found in one of his pockets Polaroid photographs showing the victim and two other middle-aged bearded men with visible scars on their faces. They were identified as Yehouda and Yossef Benesti, presumably members of the same family.
[DS: Spy for Israel? No. I researched Mr. Benesti. Benesti, whose family--like many Lebanese Jews--had been in Lebanon since 2,000 B.C. (before the birth of Mohammed), was a charitable and kindly candy store owner who gave free candy to children of all religions, including Shi'ite Muslims. Benesti's "crime" was being a Jew.]
Some reports from Beirut say the dead man's actual name might have been Ibrahim Tinesti.Two months ago, the Organization of the Oppressed of the Earth murdered two other Jewish hostages, Isaac Tarab, 69, and Haim Halala Cohen, 36. Since these killings, most members of Beirut's already small Jewish community are said to have fled. Some reports say there are now less than 20 Jews left in Beirut.
The group had also claimed responsibility for the hijacking of a TWA airliner to Beirut in June 1985. The hijackers had then demanded that Israel set free all prisoners held in Israel and south Lebanon. Israel had refused to deal with them or give in to their demands.
The statement found pinned to their latest victim renewed this demand. It said that 300 Shi'ites are being held prisoners by the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army in a camp near the Israeli border. The SLA has refused to free the prisoners it holds in Khiam, some 20 miles north of the border.
The group also said Benesti had been killed to protest "Israel's violation" of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It called the victim "a pillar of Israeli espionage in Lebanon." The dead man was known, Jewish circles said in Paris, as a quiet businessman who minded his own business. He settled in Beirut, coming from Sidon, 35 years ago. It is not known if he was married and had children.
As you can see, "The Organization of the Oppressed of the Earth" a/k/a Hezbollah has not changed in the 20 years since this article. First, they got rid of Lebanon's Jews. Now, they want to eliminate Israel's Jews. America and the rest of the world--including Christians--are next, if Hezbollah is not stopped and eliminated.
The new Nazis must go.
Posted by Debbie on July 25, 2006 02:47 PM to Debbie Schlussel