Lebanon has faced many challenges in the past few years. First, there were the civil protests, which in their early days resembled a carnival but soon became an absolute nightmare. Then, the country was hit by a liquidity crisis that led to severe inflation. This was followed by a gigantic explosion in Beirut’s port, armed clashes, and the shooting of Shiite protesters.
As a result, darkness literally descended upon Beirut due to a nationwide blackout brought on by the economic crisis. The electricity issues have still not been solved, and inflation keeps growing.
These problems, however, have receded into the background as the threat of war looms over Lebanon. Neighboring Palestine is being bombed and there is a risk that Lebanon may also ‘catch fire.’ The situation is aggravated by the ideology of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which seeks to liberate Jerusalem. The movement regularly attacks Israeli army positions on the border, which prompts Israel to strike back and attack Lebanon’s southern regions.
One cannot say that the city of Sidon, located in southern Lebanon, is a more dangerous place than Beirut. Even further south, in Tyre, everything is relatively calm, except that one may hear distant sounds of explosions. Frankly, I thought I would see a more depressing picture. However, after driving through several Lebanese towns, I can say that life there continues peacefully.
“Ninety percent of Lebanese people see no reason to fight against Israel and are not ready for war,” said Lebanese journalist Wafiq al-Hiwari, whom I met through friends in Sidon. This vastly experienced Lebanese man has been covering the political situation in his country for many years and does not like to talk about global politics. Wafiq is a fierce opponent of dividing Lebanon into sections based on religious beliefs. He complains that today, there is no unity in Lebanon – the country is broken into pieces and divided between the Shiites, Sunnis, Druze, and Christians.
— This conflict has already caused us many problems. About 60,000 Lebanese people living on the border with Israel had to leave their homes. About 70% of them came to live with relatives and friends. And this happened in extremely difficult times from an economic point of view.
The only people in Lebanon who unequivocally support Gaza are the inhabitants of the Palestinian refugee camps. There are 12 such camps in Lebanon. The largest one is Ain al-Hilweh in the city of Sidon, located in the south of the country. However, the local population associates these camps not so much with Palestine as with poverty and crime.
A few days ago, the press service of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Israel is ready to build up its military forces and fight Hezbollah. Israel had made similar statements before. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that if Hezbollah continued striking Israeli territory, Lebanon would suffer the same fate as Gaza.
Hezbollah has not yet fully engaged in war with Israel. But it has not remained completely passive either. For example, high-ranking Hezbollah officials Hashim Safi Al Din and Sheikh Naim Qassem recently stated that the Resistance in Lebanon will not just sit and silently watch the events in Palestine but will certainly support the residents of Gaza.
“What happens on the Lebanese front will depend on what happens in Gaza,” Hassan Nasrallah said. He added that all scenarios are open, and any particular course of action may be chosen at any time.
“If a regional war breaks out, neither the navy nor the air force will stop us from destroying the military forces of Israel and the United States,” Hezbollah’s secretary-general threatened.
1 comment:
Now it's Hezbollah's secretary-general turn to drop dead. I hope and pray Muslims have a come to Jesus moment before they are blown out of the universe.
Post a Comment