Maronites in Israel (Arabic: الموارنة في إسرائيل, Syriac: ܒܝܫܪܐܠ ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are an Arabic-speaking minority who belong to the Maronite Catholic Church, which has historically been tied with Lebanon. They derive their name from the Syriac Saint Maron, whose followers moved to Mount Lebanon from northern Syria, establishing the Maronite Church,[2] most of whose members currently reside in Lebanon.[2] The Maronites in Israel encompass the long-existing Maronite community in Jish, Haifa, and Nazareth areas, as well as the families of former South Lebanon Army members, 7,000 of whom fled South Lebanon in April–May 2000 to Israel. Of these approximately 7,000 migrants, just 2,700 have remained in Israel: over the years, most of them have decided to either return home to Lebanon or to move to Europe or the United States.
الموارنة في إسرائيل | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 11,000[1] | |
| Languages | |
| South Levantine Arabic, Hebrew, Neo-Aramaic (language revitalization) | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (Maronite Church) |
Since 2014, Maronites in Israel are eligible to register their nationality as "Aramean".
History
The Maronite community in upper Galilee spans from the 18th century, being concentrated in the village of Kafr Bir'im and Jish. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the residents of the Maronite village of Kafr Bir'im were ordered by the IDF to evacuate temporarily, due to its strategic proximity to the Lebanese border. However, the Maronite residents were prohibited from returning to their hometown Kafr Bir'im after the war (a fact that still stands today), and thus ended up taking residence in neighboring villages, predominantly, in Jish and Rameh,[citation needed] both of which had been almost emptied from much of their Arab Muslim population, who fled during the war. The Maronites constitute the biggest portion of Jish's population, as 55% of the inhabitants of Jish are Maronite Christians, in comparison to 10% being Melkites and 35% being Sunni Muslims.[3][4][5]
The Maronite population of Israel has significantly[citation needed] increased, as a direct result of the May 2000 withdrawal of IDF from southern Lebanon. Several thousands of former SLA militia members and their families, mostly Lebanese Maronites, fled from South Lebanon to Galilee during April–May 2000. While many of them later immigrated to France, Canada, United States and South America, the rest have remained in Israel. The cities and communities where most Maronites in Israel reside are Haifa, Jish, Nazareth, Isfiya, Acre, Maker and Jaffa.[5][6] In 2021, there were 3,500 Lebanese in Israel,[7] they are located mainly in Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias, Ma'alot and Haifa.[8] Their main church is in Acre, Israel, and they tend to pray separately from other Maronites in Israel.[8]
Maronite Church in Israel
The Maronite Church has been in formal communion with the Roman Catholic Church since 1182.[2] As an Eastern Catholic church (a sui juris Eastern Church in communion with Rome, which yet retains its own language, rites and canon law), it has its own liturgy, which basically follows the Antiochene rite in classical Syriac. The Maronite Patriarchal Vicariate in Jerusalem dates from 1895.[2]
The Maronites in Israel and the Palestinian territories are subject to either the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land, or the Maronite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and Palestine, both in turn subject to the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, but since 1996 both these jurisdictions of the Maronite Church have been in the pastoral care of one single bishop, being united for now in persona episcopi. The current archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land is Moussa El-Hage since 2012, succeeding original archbishop Paul Nabil El-Sayah. Between 1906 and 1996, the territory was part of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre, while Jerusalem was served by a patriarchal vicar.[9]
According to the 2018 Annuario Pontificio, in 2017 the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land had 10,000 members, 8 parishes and 6 priests. The Maronite Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Jerusalem and Palestine had 504 members, 3 parishes and 1 priest.[10]
Identity
Maronite Aramean identity
A study on Maronites' identity in Israel, performed at Haifa University, was said to have found that part of this community rejected Arab identity in favor of a distinct Maronite identity,[5] and that many Maronite residents of Jish considered themselves Aramean Christian Maronites.[11]
In 2014, Israel decided to recognize the Aramean community within its borders as a national minority, allowing some of the Christians in Israel to be registered as "Aramean",[12] instead of "Arab" or "Unclassified". The Christians, who may apply for recognition as Aramean, are mostly Galilean Maronites, who trace their culture, ancestry and language to Arameans.[13]
Language
Traditionally, Neo-Aramaic had been the spoken language of the Maronites up to the 17th century, when Arabic took its place, while Classical Syriac remained in use only for liturgical purposes. In 2011, activists tried to revitalize Neo-Aramaic by teaching it for young children in Jish Elementary School, with approval of the Israeli Ministry of Education. The program was implemented briefly by the school, but was quickly dropped.[14][11]
See also
References
- ^ https://apnews.com/article/7f4c4fe33bd841088059fc8719ca521d
- ^ a b c d Ivan Mannheim (2001). Syria & Lebanon Handbook: The Travel Guide. Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 9781900949903. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
- ^ "Maronite Catholic Church". Jcjcr.org. Archived from the original on 2013-05-03. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
- ^ "Faith | the Times". Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
- ^ a b c "Haifa thesis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
- ^ "The Christian communities in Israel". mfa.gov.il.
- ^ "These Young Israelis Were Born in Lebanon – but Don't Call Them Arabs". Haaretz. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
- ^ a b Shachmon, Ori; Mack, Merav (2019). "The Lebanese in Israel – Language, Religion and Identity". Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft. 169 (2): 343–366. doi:10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.169.2.0343. ISSN 0341-0137.
- ^ History of the Maronites of the Holy Land: in French and in English
- ^ Roberson, Ronald. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2017" (PDF). cnewa.org. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ a b "Aramaic Maronite Center". Aramaic-center.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
- ^ "Ministry of Interior to Admit Arameans to National Population Registry".
- ^ "Israel Hayom". www.israelhayom.com. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ^ ""We Want To Speak The Language That Jesus Spoke": The Revival Of Aramaic in Jish, Israel « News « Articles « OneIsrael.org . . . israelstreet.org". israelstreet.org. Retrieved 2022-11-07.