Giora Eiland
Israel Opinion/Ynet
05 August '10
Posted before Shabbat
The grave incident on the northern border Tuesday reflects Lebanon’s reality – a reality that many observers in Washington and Paris preferred not to see. It’s important that we know what Lebanon’s global image is, compared to this reality.
The global image is as follows: There are two camps in Lebanon. The “good guys” camp includes the Christians, Sunnis, and Druze. This camp espouses peace, wants to boost Lebanese democracy, and wishes to move closer to the West. On the other end there’s the “bad guys” camp, which is based on Hezbollah and is supported by the “axis of evil” – Syria and Iran. These two camps are seemingly engaged in a struggle for hegemony in Lebanon.
Had the above description portrayed reality accurately, America’s and France’s conclusion would have been correct – the Lebanese state must be assisted politically, economically, and militarily in order to boost the “good guys” camp.
Regrettably, the reality in Lebanon is very different. The actual circumstances are as follows: There are indeed two camps in the country, yet they maintain an unwritten agreement that allows each party to utilize its relative advantage for a common goal.
And so, the “good guys” camp presents Lebanon’s beautiful face: It highlights the existence of democratic institutions, Francophone culture, tourism, and so on. At the same time, the other camp (Hezbollah) continues to maintain the (formal) authority to impose a veto on any political decision; this camp also continues to serve as the dominant military power in the country and the only one that determines where peace or war would prevail on the Israeli border.
(Read full Op-Ed)
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The grave incident on the northern border Tuesday reflects Lebanon’s reality – a reality that many observers in Washington and Paris preferred not to see. It’s important that we know what Lebanon’s global image is, compared to this reality.
The global image is as follows: There are two camps in Lebanon. The “good guys” camp includes the Christians, Sunnis, and Druze. This camp espouses peace, wants to boost Lebanese democracy, and wishes to move closer to the West. On the other end there’s the “bad guys” camp, which is based on Hezbollah and is supported by the “axis of evil” – Syria and Iran. These two camps are seemingly engaged in a struggle for hegemony in Lebanon.
Had the above description portrayed reality accurately, America’s and France’s conclusion would have been correct – the Lebanese state must be assisted politically, economically, and militarily in order to boost the “good guys” camp.
Regrettably, the reality in Lebanon is very different. The actual circumstances are as follows: There are indeed two camps in the country, yet they maintain an unwritten agreement that allows each party to utilize its relative advantage for a common goal.
And so, the “good guys” camp presents Lebanon’s beautiful face: It highlights the existence of democratic institutions, Francophone culture, tourism, and so on. At the same time, the other camp (Hezbollah) continues to maintain the (formal) authority to impose a veto on any political decision; this camp also continues to serve as the dominant military power in the country and the only one that determines where peace or war would prevail on the Israeli border.
(Read full Op-Ed)
If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.
.
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