The Prime Minister has directed Israel's security establishment to locate and return the bodies of Jewish community leaders kidnapped and murdered in Lebanon in the 1980s, according to The Zioneer. Dr. Jacques Neria, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, says the effort transcends family closure and restores awareness of a nearly erased community.
On Friday morning, Dr. Jacques Neria, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, told The Zioneer that the effort to recover the remains of Jewish community leaders kidnapped and murdered in Lebanon in the 1980s is "an act of historical memory." Neria, a Beirut native and researcher on Lebanese Jewry, said the operation transcends family closure and restores awareness of a nearly erased community.
The comment follows a series of developments reported on Thursday, Sep 3. At 16:14 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Israel had begun releasing five Lebanese civilians in exchange for Beirut's agreement to assist in locating the remains. The Prime Minister's Office confirmed the directive, and i24NEWS reported American and Lebanese cooperation. Earlier reports detailed intelligence preparations, including maps and aerial photos compiled by Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch, and the inclusion of Article 13 in the agreement addressing the recovery of the slain.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the near-total disappearance of the Jewish community from Lebanon and ongoing efforts to reclaim its legacy. The recovery effort is part of a broader diplomatic engagement between Israel and Lebanon, which has included security arrangements and prisoner releases.
The operation remains in its early stages. Exact locations and the number of remains have yet to be confirmed.
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