From the Archives of the Sursuqs

I chanced upon this article, The Private Archives of the Sursuq, A Beirut Family of Christian Notables, published in 2009. They were one of the original Beirut aristocratic “Seven Families” along with the Bustros, Dagher, Hasbini, Fayad, Fernaine, Trad, and Tueni families. In the Palestine Mandate, there were "Notable Families" (see also here).

Anyone who has read/studied early Zionist history knows the name. The family had extensive land holdings hroughout the Ottoman Empire in the Eastern Meditteranean area and sold property to Zionists. For example:

the Palestine Land Development Company focused on consummating the transfer of some 65,000 dunams of land in the Jezreel Valley owned by the Sursocks. On 18 December 1918, the PDLC concluded an agreement with Nagib and Albert Sursock for the purchase of 71,356 dunams in the Jezreel Valley, including Tel Adashim.

Whole villages were able to be purchased as they were worked by tenant families

 From evidence presented to the Shaw Commission of 1930

And here is a Hebrew resource n their holdings, especially in the Palestine Mandate area. By the way, the 186o palace built by Moïse Sursock was severely damaged in the recent Beiut port blast.

In any case, the claim the "Zionists are European foreigners" resonates here. The Sursuq family is Greek Orthodox and originated in Mersin in the Anatolia area, arriving in Beirut in the early 18th century. 

In that article above on the archives, "Palestine" doesn't appear although many cities in the country are mentioned. Perhaps because they were part of "Syria" and not any "Palestine", which existed as a region but not a country?

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The Lady Sursuq died in the Beirut Port blast.

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