Renowned Lebanese poet Saeed Oqal, in his anthology ‘If Lebanon could speak’, embodies the sorrowful tale of his homeland, recurrently haunted by the ghost of civil unrest for centuries on end. The apparition of conflicts, sourced internally or externally, intermittently fans the remnants of earlier strifes. The collective wish now pins faith on the idea that the latest war would symbolize the end of Lebanon’s age-long ordeal of agony.
In the present day, Lebanon is led by a president, originating from the southern region of the nation, demonstrating unwavering dedication toward a country battered by adversities. The southern area became the target of various factions including Israeli, Palestinian, and Iranian forces, each seeking to annex this territory and establish their own governance.
Hezbollah has accomplished what others attempted since 2000, strongly displaying allegiance to Tehran while marginalizing both the sect it purports to advocate for and the other elements of this minuscule Arab country. Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, proclaimed a sacred victory, realizing that the southern part of Lebanon ceased to be Israel’s security worry. Indeed, withdrawal considerations had already commenced in 1999.
Despite these considerations, Hezbollah aimed to leverage the pullout of the Israeli military to reinforce its political capability, thereby gaining dominion over the nation’s decision-making apparatus. Since this time, the outfit continued to have a destructive influence on the country. In a stark deviation from the cease-fire agreement, Nasrallah orchestrated the abduction of two Israeli soldiers from the occupied Palestinian territory in 2006.
This move came at a time when various factions were actively discussing disarmament. Instead of partaking in the discourse, Nasrallah opted to incite a war. Later on, Nasrallah expressed regrets over the war, confessing, ‘If I had known this war would be this costly, I wouldn’t have started it!’
Since the inception of Hezbollah by Iran in 1982, which accords with the Iranian constitution’s obligation to ‘export the revolution’, Lebanon has been in a perpetual state of disturbance. Hezbollah has persistently remained a focal point of conflicts, instigating fights with native Lebanese factions or inciting Israel.
The most frequent victims of these altercations have been the Shiite community and the inhabitants of the south, hailing from diverse backgrounds. Hezbollah engaged in the most recent war at the instruction of Tehran, with little consideration for the potential disastrous impact on the populace or state, especially given the ongoing severe global economic and financial crisis, the likes of which have not been seen since the mid-nineteenth century.
This lack of concern underscores that Hezbollah, while acting on instructions from Iran, functions more as a paid combatant than a protector of state sovereignty. The cost of the last war in human and financial terms was massive, with eight thousand lives lost, countless villages obliterated, and a cost of living surge amounting to USD 14 billion, all while Israel’s invasions into Lebanon persist.
Unemployment has also soared in the country, implying a recovery period of approximately 25 years for Lebanon to revert to its socio-economic state merely five years prior. Therefore, one must question – Did Lebanon see any advantage from this war? Did Iran support its ‘party’, or did it merely utter, ‘Proceed, you with your Lord, and engage in combat. We will patiently observe here’?
When the global community rallies behind the Lebanese government’s attempts to demilitarize all militias within the country, including Hezbollah, the indication is clear. The choice is up to the state and not sectarian groups, outfits, or bodies. The fear of a civil war appears to be little more than illusions, akin to soap bubbles.
The collective global and Arab agreement is unmistakable – Lebanon has to be liberated from this weight. Encouragingly, a brave team comprising the president and the prime minister has surfaced to mitigate the losses and rescue their beleaguered country. After all, as per Lebanese lingo ‘It no longer needs it’, Lebanon cannot endure any additional strain.
Indeed, the task at hand for this leadership is to alleviate the burden of a long-suffering nation, struggling through strife and instability. Not to regain an elusive glory of past prosperity, but to ensure that Lebanon is able to stand once more on firm footing, moving steadily towards a future free of the chains of conflict.
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