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A serious misstep… Both in presentation and principle. On Tuesday, while using convoluted language, the spokesperson for the Hamas movement in Lebanon felt it necessary (upon whose advice?) to elaborate on the previous day’s announcement regarding the establishment of “Al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards.”
Thus, the Palestinian fundamentalist figure attempted to persuade us that he was “misinterpreted:” “This is not a paramilitary formation, and no resistance actions will be initiated from Lebanon,” stating that the purpose is to “cultivate the youth’s personality in order to involve them in the struggle against occupation for the benefit of both the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples!” Yet, there seems to be a contradiction… In practice, Hamas openly engages in launching missiles from southern Lebanon into Israeli territory, showing little concern for repercussions on “Lebanese people,” given the sizeable retaliatory attacks targeting southern Lebanese villages. Just a few days ago, Hamas publicly acknowledged the death of a Turkish militia member killed while fighting within its ranks at the Israeli border.
Gradually – and assuredly – the Palestinian fundamentalist organization is strengthening its armed presence in the South, alongside another more extremist group, the Islamic Jihad. This is a more chaotic and far more uncontrollable reiteration of the situation that engulfed Lebanon in the early 1970s, leading to an enduring devastating war whose effects persist to this day.
In the 1970s, the Lebanese state still existed despite the numerous challenges it faced. Presently, however, the state is a mere shell, further subjected to the dictates of its destroyer, who has relentlessly pursued, since 2005, a strategy aimed at dismantling the state, the entire Lebanese system, and the country’s crucial social and economic sectors, taking over from Syrian occupation.
Before the Iranian influence, there was Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, who, in December 1992, courageously prohibited, without any hesitation, the entry to Lebanon of over 400 Hamas officials and executives, led by Gaza’s Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantissi, whom Israel sought to expel and send to Lebanon. These Palestinian officials remained stranded for months in the cold and snow, in a no-man’s land between Lebanon and Israel. Eventually, Israel was forced to go back on its decision. Today, however, our caretaker Prime Minister seems content with loudly declaring his powerlessness, rehashing the obvious fact that the decision for war and peace is beyond his control. He forgets that, as the head of the government, and not a mere political figure or analyst, it is his duty to spare no effort and utilize all official means to attempt a return to Security Council Resolution 1701.
Despite the Lebanese taking the heavy toll of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for over half a century, with the current repercussions having a devastating effect on all of Lebanon, there are presently irresponsible officials and leaders forcing the Lebanese people to endure further years of trials and sacrifices. Their sole aim is to serve a regional power and its local affiliate who couldn’t care less about the Palestinian cause…
