of course they don't understand Israel means nothing to you! To us also askenazi it is very difficult to undestand how can you pray? Can you explain? What city do you put in your prayers, Beirut? or there are any Jerusalem in Lebanon??????

After reading what they had to say about Israel even under a pseudo name when they can reveal the truth, as far as I am concerned you can all stay there. You have cut yourselves off from the Jewish people. And I wouldnt donate 1cent to help refurbish your synagogue. I am sure you had hundreds of opportunities to leave but you might as well be arab muslims by now, so frankly stay there with your new found brothers and dont come crying to us when Hizbollah starts chasing you down for a few local hangings. You made your choices. Oh and when you say your tfilot (prayers) replace Yerushalyim with Mecca or Beirut, makes more sense to me. Titbayshoo.

All Lebanese Jews; when you think there is no recognition to your freedom and religion why to stick there? Cash all your belongings and come down here. I know it is not easy, but you can try, G'd is with you.

Like Jews around the world, the remaining Jews of Lebanon should move to Israel where they belong as Israel creation and Israel's actions against non-Jews have made all Jews living elsewhere suspect of being disloyal. Israel is where the world's Jews belong, and they should be encouraged to move there post haste or transferred there if necessary, simply for their well being and that of their current host countries.

You are not news. You are actually desecrating the name of the creator by stating that Israel is your enemy and is meaning nothing to you.

You're not very smart, are you? The biggest influx in Jewish emmigration from Lebanon was with the invasion of Israel in 1982. The IDF/Israel, supposedly the protectorates of worldwide Jewry, persecuted and abused the Jews who remained in Lebanon because they deemed them traitors. Like what Samuel said in the article, this is like Iran trying to convict me of treason because I am a Shi'te and wish to remain Lebanese!!! It is that absurd. It was your IDF which at one point desecrated the Synagogue and tried bribing or threatening Lebanon's Jewry into leaving. The only persecution of Lebanon's Jewry did not come from their fellow Lebanese, but from their not-so-fellow Israeli Jews. So much for co-existence, huh? I have alot of respect, alot of pride for Lebanon's Jewish Community, because they are a brave, proud and patriotic community. They could easily betray their country and live a happy and relatively prosperous life in Israel - but they remain steadfast in their homeland. I salute these honourable people.

...so stay there then and don't complain.

The Lebanese Jews were the only Jewish community in the ME to volunteer to fight Israel. I think it's funny that even when they express their love of Lebanon they still have to speak on condition of anonymity. That's really being at peace with your neighbors. Didn't Israel just send a Lebanese Jew back to Lebanon for spying for Hezbollah? Don't wish them ill just forget about them.

a heavy statement. I don't know whether to be happy for them or not. If they wanted to leave, they would have done so I think we can only pray for their safety.

the same situation may happen to israli jews if the governement continue a corwardly politcy vis a vis his ennemies .

Israel may mean nothing for them, but in a short time all non-Shia Lebanese will be gone. Do us a favor and remember that we are nothing to you and we will leave you to your fate.

I mourn for you for you are like the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Maybe in centuries to come your descendents will remember that once you were Jews--Today you are already lost to Islam. --and will beg for return to Israel.

What stupid Jews they are: they consider themselves Lebanese while the Lebanese call them Israeli and Jewish.

During the civil war, 4 prominent Jews were taken hostages and executed. Beirut would be a nice place to shelter our friendly Neturei Karta: as well as the lebanese Jews, they belong to the most despicable sort of Dhimmis.

Perhaps they are too frightened to express their true feelings - lest they suffer reprisals from Hizballa. Not everything is what it seems ....

Wow! and wow again. What a load of shockingly anti-Jewish comments from people who I am sure would not describe themselves as anti-Semites. It seems to me that if the Jews of Lebanon wish to stay in their own country, that is their business. They have not been screaming to be "rescued" and the odious string of comments about their Jewishness and the expressed wishes to see their destruction could not even have been invented by a psychotic anti-Semite. Most of the TBers do not seem to have read the article when the Lebanese Jews state that the 1982 invasion in fact put paid to their lives in Lebanon. But of course, no one who supports the ISraeli establishment is going to admit that Israeli government policy has in fact made life worse and worse for Jews in Lebanon. That would involve the sort of soul-searching for which the loud mouthed knee-jerkers are not famous.

I think that if you thought for a moment, you would realize that people are upset because these individuals named the greater part of the Jewish people as their enemies. But thats the type of soul-searching that loud-mouthed British forum trolls aren't known for.

To all the people who say " Bring them to Israel." Have you not yet figured out that their disposition is directly due to the actions of Israel? And if they were moved here would we treat them like Gush Katif refugees? What jobs are available in Israel? To all the people who bad mouth them for opposing Israel. What happened to Ahavas Israel? When did the nationalist zionist state laws over rule Torah, even defining Judaism, who is a Jew and who is a good Jew? NEWSFLASH Many Jews oppose Zionism who are NOT Naturei Karta!!!

Do you really think that any comment made by a Jew in Lebanon about Israel would reflect anything more than carefully crafted diplomacy, considering that in the 1980's a number of prominent Lebanese Jews were abducted by Hizbullah and murdered in cold blood? To survive in Lebanon today, any Jew would have to be "more Catholic than the Pope".

Read the article. There are only a handful of Jews remaining in Beirut, and no rabbis or community leaders. Any comment these people are making about Israel is the result of the severe psychological torture put on them by "fellow Lebanese", after prominent Lebanese Jews were abducted by Hizbullah in the 1980's and murdered in cold blood. In addition, your comment that IDF "desecrated the synagogue" is nothing more than a gimmick and a lie. It was the Lebanese State that razed the Talmud-Torah to make room for developers. Face the facts, and accept them for what they are. Israel has been at war with the Arabs for 60 years, and yet there are 1.3 million Arab citizens living in Israel in peace and security (except when Hizbullah are firing Katyushas at northern Israel). Lebanon was not able to protect its Jews, and their numbers dwindled mostly due to extortion by Fatah and Civil War-era militias, and threats and murders by Shi'ite militias. The replies they are giving now bear all the hallmarks of a "Stockholm syndrome".

Lebanon was the only Arab country whose Jewish population actually increased after the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948.[5] However, after the 1958 Civil War, many Lebanese Jews left the country, largely for Europe, the United States. In 1971, Albert Elia, the 69-year-old Secretary-General of the Lebanese Jewish community was kidnapped in Beirut by Syrian agents and imprisoned under torture in Damascus along with Syrian Jews who had attempted to flee the country. A personal appeal by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan to the late President Hafez al-Assad failed to secure Elia's release. The Lebanese Civil War, beginning in 1975, proved worse for the Jews, and around 200 were killed during pogroms in that period. In 1982, during the Israeli invasion, 11 Jewish leaders were captured and killed by Islamist radicals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanese_Jews

"Have you not yet figured out that their disposition is directly due to the actions of Israel? And if they were moved here would we treat them like Gush Katif refugees?" So, what is the problem, then? Is Israel too hard on the Arabs, is it occupying too much of "their" land? Or is it a defeatist country that withdraws from territory that rightfully belongs to it? Or are you simply finding an excuse to have a good whine and snivel?

What is so shocking? The comments by the Lebanese Jews are perfectly reasonable. Judaism is a religion not a nationality. Jews live all over the world and love the homeland they reside in. Not all Jews are Zionists (as the Lebanese Jews clearly reveal) and many Jews in many countries, who are not Zionists, have no interest in Israel, being Israeli or being part of a Zionist state. It is not anti-semitic to say you don't support Israel or to criticise Israel, just as its not un American to criticise George W Bush or unCatholic to criticise the Vatican. The point that Daniel seems to miss is - they don't want to come to Israel. They have no interest in being Israeli. As the man said "Israel means nothing to us". All they want, like all improvished communities around the world, no matter what their religion they are, is to have a better life in their homeland. Not so shocking and not so hard to understand.

As a Lebanese, I am very proud with the lebanese Jews. I pray that the day will come when a just & fair peace between Lebanon & Israel will happen. That day will be a special day for the Lebanese Jews, because they will feel free to visit Israel whenever they want, to be connected with their jewish culture without feeling that they betrayed their country . I am a Lebanese christian myself who like many other Lebanese from all denominations, was forced to leave my country for a more peacful place. But believe me, there is no place on earth like Lebanon.

WKAE UP YOU PEOPLE WHO ARE SO FAST TO TAKE ABOUT A JEW YOU DONT LIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST..IT IS NOT NEW JERSEY .........................DACON9

Duhhhh sounds like things are really going great for thm in Lebanon. And hows it going for you in Londonistan? 1/3 of your Muslim Students believe killing for Islam is perfectly OK? Just imagine what YOU have to look forward to in the coming years eh?

Like the Jews of Iran.

They are obviously in fear for their lives and property.