Dr. Omri Abadi, a lecturer in archaeology and history at the Hebrew University, in a lecture to the members of the "Uri Tsafon" (Northern Awakening) movement, presented many findings and testimonies of Jewish life in southern Lebanon before the establishment of the state.
He presented words written by the first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, in which he stated that the northern border of the State of Israel should be the al-Qasmiyya River – the southern part of the Litani River that flows westward and empties into the Mediterranean Sea, north of the city of Tyre, about 29 km form the current Israeli-Lebanese border.
Uri Tsafon, which works to establish a Jewish settlement in southern Lebanon stated: "The Jewish people have a close and long-standing connection to southern Lebanon. The establishment of a civilian settlement in southern Lebanon is a moral, security, and historical step that is necessary. Only civilian settlement brings security."
Dr. Abadi surveyed Jewish settlement in the villages of southern Lebanon and in the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. Among other things, he recounted how the Jews of Kfar Hazabieh in southern Lebanon moved to Rosh Pina about 130 years ago following the establishment of a silk factory by Baron Rothschild after living there for hundreds of years.
In his lecture, Abadi emphasized that the territories of southern Lebanon are the territories of the Asher and Naftali tribes, and presented Torah sources that include references to Jewish residence in southern Lebanon and the halachic questions that arose from the question of whether the place is considered the Land of Israel or abroad. In addition, he mentioned the snail hunters who were used to dye the blue wick with tzitzit who lived in the coastal city of Tyre.
* Arutz 7 contributed to this article.
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