Enough Delusions!

For the past two days I have had a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. It is a mix of disgust, anger and hopelessness at the events in Lebanon, a country that I love. My memories of living through many similar events in Lebanon remain vivid so I know what it feels, sounds and smells like... I hate it and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. As I have watched the Lebanese slowly rebuild their shattered country over the last 16 years, I had hoped against all odds, that the youngest generation of Lebanese would be finally spared the horrors of war.

I seethe in anger at the callousness and cruelty with which Israel destroys innocent lives and Lebanon's civilian infrastructure in the name of self-defense with the silent acquiescence of the rest of the world. The Israelis know perfectly well that Lebanon is deeply divided over Hizbullah's militia. Why punish everyone? The only conclusion one can draw from their over reaction is that they are not interested in a stable and prosperous Lebanon but in one that is in perpetual political and economic chaos. From their response in Gaza, they have the same condescending attitude to the Palestinians. To all this, the moronic US president, with his cartoonish, black and white view of the world gives his full, unconditional support. Just imagine the brownie points he would have gained with the "Arab Street" that he is trying so hard to woo, if he would have at least qualified his support of Israel by saying: "OK to self defense ... But civilians and civilian infrastructure are not fair game". Is it not these same civilians, whether in Gaza or Lebanon, to whom he wants to bring democracy? No wonder that the "Arab Street" is cynical of American intentions.

Equal to my anger and disgust at the Israelis is my anger and disgust at Hizbullah and its leaders for the sheer recklessness and stupidity of the act that triggered this whole fiasco. What were they really trying to achieve? Yes, yes, I know, the reason for the continued existence of their militia is they want to liberate every last inch of Lebanese territory because that speck on the map that is Shebaa farms is so critical for Lebanon's future. Even if it is so, is this the right time? The right way? Is it in the end worth it? Is it even logical to go up against one of the most powerful armies in the world backed up, unconditionally, by the only superpower. Rigid ideology has to be tempered by logic and reason if not it becomes delusional and self-destructive.

Some may think my explanations naive as this is surely part of a larger, Machiavellian game played at the regional level. I will let others speculate. What I do know is that these games always serve the narrow interests of the leaders -survival at any cost- who engage in them and comes invariably at the expenses of the people they are sworn to serve.

To their credit, Hizbullah did, as they are like to remind the Lebanese, force Israel to leave in 2000. For that, they were rewarded with real political power to represent their constituency, the Shia, that has long been marginalized in Lebanon. Why then did they not then disband their militia? Is it such a hard concept to understand that a stable independent state cannot function with two armies one answering to the government and one to a leader with no political or legal authority? They are either unable or unwilling to transform from a resistance movement that is capable of blowing things up to a political movement that can help build a country. They justify the continued existence of their militia to the general public by invoking the need to liberate the Shebaa farms but are in reality unwilling to give up the power that comes with having their own private army. Just imagine the intoxicating power that Nasrallah must be feeling acting as if he was simultaneously president, prime minister and commander in chief of Lebanon but without any of the constraints or responsibilities. So he can callously offer up all his citizens and his country for "all out war" because in the end he will not have to fix the bridges or mend the lives that are affected as a consequence of his action.