By destroying the historic Nabatieh market, Israel is aiming to eradicate Lebanon's heritage, history and culture

With every deadly raid Israel launches on Lebanon's towns and villages, one of its aims is to destroy Lebanon's rich cultural heritage and the collective memories attached to ancient places, which have been passed down and cherished by Lebanese communities over generations.

The destruction of the historic Nabatieh marketplace in southern Lebanon was a devastating blow to not only the city's residents but the entire region, and many have recalled deep-rooted memories connected to the ancient city stretching back decades, cherished by the people of Nabatieh, and everyone who had ever set foot in the famous weekly Monday market.

Abbas Al-Hajj Ahmad, who now lives outside Lebanon, spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister edition, about growing up in Nabatieh: "The part I loved about coming back to Lebanon was sitting in my chair in the Nabatieh souq, in Dimassi Street, and going to Arnout Falafels and the Jaloul and Salloum stores."

He continues, "Attacking the Nabatieh market is like an attack on friends and family. The streets bombed were the places my personality was formed; Nabatieh was like a city and village merged, which is characteristic of southerners."

This is not the first time that the Nabatieh market has been targeted by Israel; since it was bombed in 1978, it has come under repeated Israeli attacks. Israel then invaded the city in 1982, only withdrawing three years later in 1985. Nabatieh was also bombed during the seven-day war in July 1993, the Grapes of Wrath offensive in April 1996, and the July war in 2006.

Ali Mazraani, a political researcher and historian from Nabatieh, described what had happened in the city as "an aspect of Israeli revenge that happens in every war on Lebanon, as the town has been a centre of uprisings since the French colonisation."

Ali reels off some of the most significant historical events Nabatieh and its market have borne witness to: "In 1943, the town witnessed an uprising against the French occupation which began in the marketplace, and the French flag was burned.

"Nabatieh was at the forefront of the protests demanding an end to the French and English colonisation and was an arena of solidarity against the Israeli aggression which spread through the Arab world in 1973 and 1979," he recounts.

In 1973, Lebanese tobacco farmers instigated a revolt in the heart of the Nabatieh market, which lasted three days. While two were killed as a result of being shot by the Lebanese authorities, they ultimately managed to secure improved farmers' rights across Lebanon – not just in the south, according to Ali. 

The most famous uprising, which still haunts Israel, and which was documented by the late Lebanese historian and filmmaker Borhane Alaouié in one of his films, was the Ashura uprising in Nabatieh.

The spark for the uprising was initiated by the Communist Party in alignment with The Lebanese National Resistance Front (Jammoul) – a leftist alliance formed after Israel occupied southern Lebanon in 1982. Jammoul members seized the Ashura commemorations in the city as an opportunity to launch their struggle against the occupation.

"The uprising showed the unity between all Lebanon's resistance factions [at the time]; they launched their demonstrations from the pulsing heart of the city's famous market — which brimmed with political and social activity. The [Nabatieh] market isn't just a physical space made of stones – but contains a heritage which cannot be erased," says Ali.

He adds that many other operations against Israel's occupation were carried out from Nabatieh and its market, and Israel closed it down multiple times. However, this time Israel has wiped out the market.

The ancient city of Nabatieh is at least 800 years old, and its historic market is believed to date back to the Mameluke period, around 500 years ago. At the start of the 20th Century, the market's buildings were refurbished and renovated in the late Ottoman-style. At that time it became known for the iconic "Zahra Al-Janoub" boarding house — the oldest hotel in Nabatieh.

Ali explains that the hotel was built there because of the long distances citizens had to travel to buy what they needed in the market. However, it was destroyed by Israel in 1979.

The 17 October Revolution was another pivotal event in Nabatieh — whose inhabitants have always taken a stand with the rest of the Lebanese people when it has come to demanding their legitimate rights and challenging the political authorities and corruption. The raising of Nabatieh's voice was an important act of defiance from the south at that time, despite the attempts by Lebanon's elites to curb the protest movement.

Lebanese political writer Badia Fahs says: "The goal of Israel's aggression is multifaceted – its attacks on the region aren't random. Rather it strikes according to an approach; it has an integrated plan of eradication, which encompasses human beings, stones and trees."

She explains that by bombing the market, Israel's intention is "spatial eradication," because it obliterates heritage, history and culture, and "acts to tear apart the social fabric."

The Israeli destruction has wiped out any sign of Nabatieh's famous Dimassi sweet shop, which is beloved by the locals, who hold cherished memories of the store going back generations.

On the loss of the iconic sweet shop, Dimassi's owner Mohamad Amine said: "The people of Nabatieh look at Dimassi like the people of Baalbek look at their citadel. The shop is one of the oldest landmarks of Nabatieh. When they want to talk about nostalgia, they talk about it."

Mohamad says whenever people from Nabatieh come to Dimassi, "They tell me their grandparents and parents used to come after school to eat the sweets here." 

He feels a responsibility to rebuild the shop, despite the immeasurable financial and material loss.

"After I heard the news the shop had been bombed, people showed their sympathy and sadness. Many called me for reassurance. For me, this isn't just a personal matter, it's a responsibility towards the people – if I don't rebuild the store after this aggression ends, I will be participating in erasing this heritage and allowing it to disappear from people's minds over time," he says.

The destruction of historic businesses and stores which have been passed down over generations represents a huge loss, both materially and also in terms of the psychological and morale blow it inflicts on Lebanese society.

"We inherited the shop from our parents, and grandparents, and we looked after it and maintained the craft generation after generation," says Mohamad, and his family have strived to "keep it standing" despite it having been bombed many times during Israel's attacks on Lebanon in 1982, 1993, 1996, and 2006.

"However, despite all that it remained steadfast, and we were able to return to it every time and renovate it. However, this time was different: all the memories have gone, as well as the walls, the books, and the photos, which cannot be replaced," he says.

This is an edited translation based on an article from our Arabic edition. To read the original article click here.

Translated by Rose Chacko   

This article is taken from our Arabic sister publication, Al-Araby Al Jadeed and mirrors the source's original editorial guidelines and reporting policies. Any requests for correction or comment will be forwarded to the original authors and editors

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