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Partial actions are no longer viable in Lebanon, as the country faces an existential threat jeopardizing its cultural identity. Sovereignty is indivisible, and the integrity of the State cannot be compromised. The dilemma does not lie in the formula of coexistence, and the core issue is not constitutional. The Taif Agreement, in its essence, serves as a foundation text for the State.
Partial actions are no longer viable in a country where identifying the nature of the danger has become an excessively recurrent topic. The path to salvation lies in the full implementation of the Constitution as well as the tackling of its shortcomings to consolidate it. Adhering to the resolutions of the United Nations and the Arab League and including Lebanon’s neutrality until it is effectively declared while implementing structural, financial, economic, social and judicial reforms, also exudes a feeling of familiarity or déjà-vu.
The Lebanese people are running out of practical recovery options. Arab countries and the international community are convinced that Lebanon, as a sovereign State and entity, is undergoing fatal violations. As such, they are leaning toward the option of managing, in their own way, the prevalent lack of sovereignty and statehood. However, they are undoubtedly aiming for a Lebanese dynamic where sovereign, reform-oriented and change-aspiring alliances would flourish. They are relying on the society’s active forces to combine such efforts and commitment in support of the Lebanese issue.
There is neither room for partial actions nor for pro-forma measures. There is no room for hesitation, opportunism, demagoguery, populism or improvisation. Those wielding an overflow of power are firmly and tirelessly trying to alter Lebanon’s historical experience. The solutions lie in an unrelenting attachment to the national moral standards on the part of those indulging in the creation of targeted dynamics to restore the balance of power, especially after the custodians of legitimacy have surrendered to illegitimacy.
The State has opted for a peaceful confrontation with the non-State. Sovereignty, on the other hand, is in an unbalanced confrontation with the lack of sovereignty. These two equations are quite troubling. However, Lebanon, via its noble cause and its kidnapped population (residents and expatriates), is worthy of resilience and, ultimately, of total freedom.
May God protect Lebanon!
