June 28, 2010 at 4:30 am by Yaeli · Filed under Uncategorized
Michael J. Totten has conducted a must-read interview with Michael Young who is the opinion page editor of Lebanon’s Daily Star and assistant editor at Reason magazine in the U.S. He’s also just written a book on Lebanon. As Totten notes, Young “is one of the finest analysts of the modern Middle East working in English.” I’m giving a snippet to whet the appetitie. Head over to Totten’s blog for the rest (and some great illustrative photos)
MJT: You wrote in your introduction that Hezbollah’s success is arguably more of a threat to Lebanon than the civil war. Can you explain why?
Michael Young: Lebanon’s cycle of wars between 1975 and 1990 was the result of a combination of factors, including domestic strife and external intervention. It took a decade and a half for the country to emerge from its conflict, in large part due to Syria’s ability to impose its hegemony over all Lebanese territory by force of arms, after 1990. But during all stages of the war, amid the worst dissension, there was nonetheless a consensus over the fact that the end of the war would signal a return of the Lebanese state—whatever that state looked like. Perhaps this was the result of the failure of all other projects, real and imagined, during the war years—projects of partition, of sectarian cleansing and depopulation, of federalism, and so forth.
With Hezbollah, however, we have, by definition, an anti-state: a party whose very existence as an armed organization is conditioned on the absence of a Lebanese state able to impose a monopoly over the use of violence. Structurally, there is no coexistence possible between a sovereign Lebanese state and an autonomous Hezbollah-run mini-state in its midst, backed by a united Shiite community, with a military force more effective than that of the Lebanese army, supported by Iran and Syria.
Hezbollah wants us to believe coexistence is possible, but it knows better than anybody that this is just a pretext to defend its arms, which are there to serve Iranian interests. Such a statement irritates many people, because so many truly want to believe that Hezbollah is authentically Lebanese, with Lebanese priorities. Go read, you won’t be disappointed.
June 27, 2010 at 11:31 am by Yaeli · Filed under Uncategorized
Am I alone? Is anyone else feeling this way? I’m feeling the hope slipping away, the faith. Do you remember when we first started this blog? Nearly 3 years ago –it seems a lifetime ago. We were all so filled with hope, with determination, enthusiasm.
So much has happened since then. We’ve watched the world go by in our region and seen so many hopes dashed, so many opportunities lost. Trauma, drama, between our countries, within our countries. For a year and some there has been relative quiet on the surface. Yet it is an uneasy quiet, like the calm before a storm. It feels to me like we are sitting at the base of a volcano about to erupt. I hope I’m wrong. Of late I’ve felt too tired, too hopeless, too angry at the lost opportunities on all sides, at the meddling and ineptitude of outside entities, of the capitulations within, of….everything. Am I alone?
June 19, 2010 at 1:46 pm by Yaeli · Filed under Uncategorized
Nadim Gemayel has been making the rounds of the U.N. (good luck on that one) and in Washington in talks about disarming Hezbollah. Gemayel is a member of the conservative Kataeb party which is part of the ruling coalition known as the March 14th Coalition. He is trying to rally international support to free Lebanon from under the thumb of Hezbollah, Syrian and Iranian rule.
I think everyone was pretty shocked when Obama’s top adviser on counter-terrorism announced that the U.S. should start engaging Hezbollah’s “moderate” wing. Gemayel said plainly, there is no moderate wing. [And was undoubtedly thinking to himself, what kind of a blithering and blind idiot can't see this] Here’s a transcript of his interview with Foxnews. He raises some very interesting points.
NG: From what we know in Lebanon, Hezbollah is one centralized organization with a clear agenda and platform. We haven’t seen two messages coming from Hezbollah. People are free to qualify the message as they wish, but objectively, we haven’t seen multiple wings inside the movement even though it has expanded institutions.
Fox News: How powerful is Hezbollah in Lebanese politics? Can a Lebanese government govern without them?
NG: Well first it is important to know that Hezbollah is strong because it is a military organization while all other political parties are not. To us from inside the country it is about who represents the Lebanese people not who has most guns and funds. In the last two legislative elections, the March 14 coalition and their allies have won a clear majority of the popular vote. Thus they are supposed to form the cabinet according to the Lebanese constitution. Hezbollah and its allies obtained less seats and thus according to normal democratic practices they were supposed to play the role of the opposition. But the March 14 coalition was compelled to include Hezbollah representatives in the cabinet in what we call in Lebanon, a national unity cabinet. In other words the parliamentary majority was forced by Hezbollah to be included in the cabinet or else.
What Hezbollah is trying to achieve by entering the government is to “legalize” their armed structure although without merging it with the Lebanese official armed forces. The incidents of May 2008, when the Hezbollah militias invaded parts of West Beirut and the districts of Alet and Shuf in Mount Lebanon because of the intention of the Government to extend the sovereignty of the state, were a warning to Lebanese politicians. In other words, at this stage, without international support any Lebanese government cannot govern against the will of a powerful armed group. If Hezbollah would remit its weapons to the Lebanese Army so that Lebanon becomes a normal country, only then the organization can be considered as a normal political party. The fact that an armed force that has members inside the legislative and all other state institutions doesn’t mean that it has become a normal political party. It means that this armed force was able to place its members inside the Parliament while still a militia.
Fox News: Does Hezbollah hold influence at the U.N. Security Council since Lebanon now sits on the Security Council?
NG: Any armed group that influences the Lebanese Government inside the country of course can and it is influencing its foreign policy. The United Nations Security Council issued two relevant resolutions calling on all militias to disarm, UN Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701. If any Lebanese Government wants to implement these resolutions it has two choices. Either proceed with the disarming, and that is impossible in Lebanon, because this armed groups and its allies are stronger than the state. Or the Lebanese Government will have to negotiate with the armed group, and in this case the latter has no interest in disarming. It is no secret that the Lebanese Government with Hezbollah part of it, cannot ask the United Nations for help. In that sense it is a fact that Hezbollah can influence Lebanon’s diplomacy including at the United Nations. The fact that Hezbollah’s forces threatened the Government in May 2008 to crumble it if it doesn’t abide by its views, is the answer to your question.
Fox News: You met with high ranking officials at the United Nations and several missions including the U.S., France, UK and Italy. Did you raise this issue with them? What did they tell you?
NG: Yes we raised the issue of implementing UN resolutions. I asked them how would the UN implement its own resolutions regarding security and sovereignty in the world including regarding Lebanon. They advised Lebanon’s Government and its lawmakers to act and call for it. I told them Lebanon cannot call for UN help in this regards because pro-Iranian and pro-Syrian forces on the inside are blocking any move by the Lebanese Government to seek such help. It is like the chicken and the egg. In other words we’re not fully free in Lebanon and the international community, the United States must help civil societies to regain freedom.
Fox News: Do you think Syria has been supplying Hezbollah with long-range scuds?
NG: I don’t have information or data about this matter. Regarding the missiles, we read, like everyone else, Hezbollah’s own statement declaring to the world that they increased its missiles arsenal from 10,000 to tens of thousands of rockets and missiles since 2006. They spoke of ranges that are equal to the SCUD range or even further. So, the militia admits it in public. What we need now, since this is an international matter, is to have the UN send units of observers to the Lebanese Syrian borders and to the districts adjacent to that border to check it out. Remember that when the UN doesn’t do its job well, as was the case in Iraq, dramatic consequences can follow. We are working hard on subtracting Lebanon from any conflict that can generate from this crisis.
Fox News: What are the chances of another Hezbollah/Israel war?
NG: The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has one dimension that escapes Lebanon. Hezbollah is affiliated with the leadership of the Iranian revolution. This is what the ideology, doctrine and basic documents of the group says. This is what its leaders claim and this is what the Iranian regime’s leaders also say. So, if any clash comes to happen between Israel and Hezbollah, or Iran and the “World”, it would create directly a war between Lebanon and Israel which the Lebanese State won’t have anything to do with it. It would be against their will. The majority of Lebanese people, from all communities, do not want wars and terrorism and do not want missiles and destruction. The majority of Lebanese want their country out of any conflict, to live in peace and freedom.
Fox News: What is the role of Iran in Lebanon?
They are trying to build influence in this country and add Lebanon to the regional axis they are creating. The growing role of Iran’s regime in Lebanon is not accepted by the majority of Lebanese and many Shiite spiritual and political leaders as well as civil society NGOs reject the Iranian influence.
April 5, 2010 at 3:27 am by Yaeli · Filed under Uncategorized
I was reading about the arrest of the publisher of Mohamed ElBaradei’s book that calls for political reform and change in Egypt and one of the things that caught my eye was that reports say it is almost impossible for any person to run for the presidency against the ruling party. I don’t really know much about the Egyptian political system but I thought it got changed in 2005 so that it was no longer in essence a monarchy and that there would be multiple candidates able to run for president…is this not the case? I’m also wondering why they would arrest the publisher instead of just going after ElBaradei himself if they consider him to be a possible threat in elections. What is going on in Egypt?
March 19, 2010 at 12:39 pm by Corey · Filed under Israel, Mideast general, Syria
American Rabbi Practices Peacemaking in Damascus
I thought this was interesting.
February 12, 2010 at 7:34 am by Ramzi.S. · Filed under Israel, Mideast general, Palestinian Territories, Uncategorized
Having very carefully watched the Palestinian Authority’s corruption report on Israel’s Channel 10 , I am proud to say that I am Ashamed! Yes, i agree, my statement is paradoxical! I seriously believe that the most important part of dignity is Shame! Paradoxical too ? I’ll try to explain !
I am fully Palestinian, I feel Palestinian, my family pays its taxes to the Palestinian Authority, we also have the right to vote in the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Authority is PART of us and we are also, whether we like it or not, part of it. That’s where my shame comes from! Now, the question is What kind of shame is it ? I prefer to call it : Nation Building Shame! We are, again, in a very sensitive situation where we can’t say that we didn’t know, there is no reasonable doubt that the Palestinian Authority is rotten and that the Israeli administration is assisting it to stay that way. I feel ashamed because these people are ” honourable people” , because these people are supposed to tell us how to live, to police our lives, to Judge us. I refuse, I repeat, I refuse to be part of this game! Whatever the Palestinian Authority says, from this moment, does not represent me at all! Yes, I am ashamed! And yes, this feeling of shame is all what we have left to clean our ranks…
I, democratically, demand a public apology from the Authority and the resignation and trial of all those who are disgustfully rotten, i also demand that all public money gets returned to its rightful owners and that justice be honoured! Real justice!
Yes, i am proud to be ashamed….
December 28, 2009 at 11:48 am by Yaser · Filed under Uncategorized
Economy is the main factor in political decisions. This is a no-brainer for most people in the west, however serving the economy seems to be the last thing on the minds of political leaders in this region.
during war livelihoods get damaged and people are left with nothing to lose, so they turn to violence as a way to vent their frustration which in turn highlights tensions and creates more destruction.
war of course is a state and that is the destructive aspect not the bombs and explosions. when you affect a nation’s morale that’s when it becomes impossible for it to recover.
in this context one can understand how and why people become extremists, that is, they demand a violent response which most of the time is disproportionate, but is that so?
there is no short answer, because one has to look at the big picture and see how the conflict is making people’s lives on each side harder.
on the other hand, giving hope can be very powerful(the victory of Barack Obama comes to mind).
lets take Syrian Israeli peace talks as a case study and examine the sticking points, we find with little effort that almost none of them can be resolved directly and that there is effectively no vision for economical prosperity that is the natural outcome of a peaceful settlement.
Thus rallying popular support for the cause is made extremely difficult.
this deadlock is a sword with two edges; as much as lack of hope is a hindrance for peace, giving hope through real and honest focus on a prospect for a better economical conditions for all is a very effective strategy that we can adopt to make peace happen.
every one cares about quality of life, well that is only during peaceful times, or am I wrong?!
November 22, 2009 at 11:50 am by Yaeli · Filed under Uncategorized
Our recent conversation with our Yaser and the very positive outcome has gotten me thinking. One of the things our neighbourhood has been really successful about is keeping our neighbourhood together through thick and thin and that is pretty unique. We’ve lost some members, both authors and commenters, due to things going on in their personal lives, and we’ve lost some due to frustration — but not frustration with the neighbourhood or other members but rather with the situation in their own country (for instance, many of our Lebanese authors have thrown in the towel because they no longer believe the internal conflicts in Lebanon will ever be resolved). We’ve had members take a sabbatical to get rejuvenated but they haven’t left and still pop in and post and comment. In fact, we’ve only lost one member due to conflict with another member here –and that was a conflict with a fellow countryman and not because of any cross-border interactions.
Despite the frustrations and tensions and upset brought about by the civil war between Hamas and Fatah, the uprising and battle between Al Fatah and the Lebanese army, the war in Gaza, the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the protests in Iran, and so much more, we’ve managed to talk through things here and remain cohesive and committed to trying to work things out and find solutions. We’ve forged bonds with one another that have survived the kinds of external and internal conflicts that usually tear groups like our apart. Personally, I feel like each and every one of our authors and commenters are family –yo, we don’t always agree and sometimes can fight dirty (grin), but underneath is a strong cord of caring and respect that I feel tugging at me even when I’m at my most “claws out and hackles up.”
But what is it that has allowed us to weather all these storms? What are the things that keep us coming back, that encourage us to make up, mend the fences, or smooth things over, when we argue or disagree rather than turning our backs and walking away? Can you guys think of specific things that have encouraged you to stay when your frustration level was up in the red? Was it something someone said or many someones said, was it a feeling of friendship with another member despite the current tear your hair out conflict with them? Or, I don’t know…I just know that if we can figure out some of the things that have kept us together that those things might be really important, in a very practical way, for other groups when the shit hits the fan in the “real world” or between group members.
October 31, 2009 at 3:00 pm by Yaeli · Filed under Uncategorized
People are people anywhere and everywhere. There are good people and bad people and people of all shades in-between. It is something we discuss here often but for many it takes finding that out the hard way. The story below was finding it out the hard way, by being involved in a serious accident, but the finding was good indeed. Enjoy:
One of the female passengers injured when an Israeli tour bus flipped Friday in Jordan spoke with Ynet about her experience, praising the locals and the hospital for their friendly and efficient conduct.
“After the accident, passengers began vacating themselves from the bus, with the help of local passersby,” the woman said. “One of the group members suffered a fatal injury from a beam that collapsed on him. He was probably killed on the spot. He was removed from the bus and they tried to resuscitate him.”
“The Jordanians called the police, and ambulances arrived shortly after and took passengers to the hospital,” she said.
The injured passenger had only kind words for the treatment received at the local hospital in the nearby city of Madaba: “The hospital wasn’t very modern, but they did everything necessary with what they had. Each stretcher was accompanied by some 70 Jordanians, not only doctors, but also passersby and family members of other patients.
“Everyone asked for our names, and wanted to know what had happened and where we were injured. They cleared a whole floor so we can all be together,” the woman said.
The woman gave further details of her hospital stay: “They gave us soft drinks and cookies, kept running around among us, asking if we needed anything, and immediately sent each of us for treatment. Those who were in better shape sat at the cafeteria and made a list of all the passengers and their belongings. When the belongings finally arrived from the bus, not a single purse was missing.”
The Israeli consul, who arrived at the hospital, helped arrange the transfer of the patients back to Israel.
“We were apprehensive about taking the road to the border crossing, because it was raining and people were a little traumatized,” said the woman, adding that “during the drive to the border, we were accompanied by a convoy of police, ambulances and the consul as well.”
The passenger intends to send a thank-you note to the hospital. “They acted a little like Israelis — in the good sense of the word – the good Israelis who always help others along the way.”
“They made us feel very safe, I felt at home. Whoever is thinking of going to Petra should go; they are good people,” concluded the woman.
October 27, 2009 at 5:12 am by Yaser · Filed under Uncategorized
Yesterday I had a life-changing experience, it came as I listened to Dr.Azmi Bishara deliver a talk in a conference hall in Damascus, and because I believe that actions speak louder than words, I decided to suspend my participation in the GNblog until there is tangible movement in the peace process.
thanks
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Bad Vilbel
Big Pharaoh
Carmel
Dalia
Matin
Shifaa
Yaser
Drima
