Lebanon needs freedom to breathe: Iran, Israel, and Palestinians are a bane
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
In Lebanon, the Christian minority is sizeable. However, unless this nation breaks free from Iran, Israel, the Palestinians, and millions of Syrians who fled the conflict – the “Christian lungs” of the Middle East will be crushed forever.
This isn’t in the interest of the mosaic of Lebanon. Accordingly, Islamization – and external ethnic forces (Palestinians and Syrians) – will marginalize the indigenous Lebanese. Therefore, the indigenous Maronites, Shia, Sunni, Druze, and others must put Lebanon first and end internal divisions.
Sami Gemayel, the leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, said: “We want the decision to return to the Lebanese, to the Baabda Palace and the Parliament, and we do not want it to be dependent on anyone.”
Maronite and Shia divisions, for example, only serve the interest of outside nations that meddle in the internal affairs of Lebanon. The Palestinians during the period of the PLO under Yasser Arafat cared little if Christians or the Shia were killed by Palestinians or Israel alike. Instead, they treated the indigenous with utter disdain and sought Lebanese land.
Israel cared zilch when Palestinians fled to Lebanon after the creation of Israel. Similarly, Iran today utilizes Hezbollah not out of love toward Lebanon: but because Iran is anti-Israel. Therefore, the European Union – and notably France – must stand up for “a free Lebanon” where Palestinians return, the Syrians have the chance to go home by solving the Syrian crisis, and Israel and Iran are condemned for playing their geopolitical games at the expense of Lebanon.
Gulf Powers are now reaching out to Syria. Hence, the nations of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – and other Gulf Powers – need to help “Lebanon to breathe again.”
The Christian Maronite Patriarch (Bechara Boutros al-Rai) told Lebanese politicians to “stop destroying the state… and impoverishing and humiliating the people.”
He continued, that Syrian refugees were contributing to the “draining of the state’s resources, disturbing social security, and competing with the Lebanese for their livelihood.”
Gulf Powers are extremely rich and all employ immigrants from South Asia and further afield. Hence, why aren’t they taking in Syrian and Palestinian workers to a greater extent to help Lebanon?
The Syrian National Coalition cares little about Lebanon – just like the PLO under Arafat when Palestinians openly attacked the Lebanese and utilized Beirut – and southern Lebanon – like a military playground to grab power in Lebanon and attack Israel.
Israel, Iran, Palestinians, and others, have collectively eroded the functioning of Lebanon. These nations – and the Palestinians – have utilized Lebanon for their geopolitical ambitions.
Also, when Gulf and NATO powers destabilized Syria: they did not concern themselves with untold numbers of Syrian refugees fleeing to Lebanon.
The BBC reports, “Lebanon has hosted the largest number of refugees per capita in the world since neighboring Syria descended into civil war in 2011.”
Accordingly, why is Lebanon – the nation with the most sizeable Christian population in the entire Middle East (West Asia) – in percentage terms – being allowed “to die slowly?”
This concerns mass immigration and the intrigues of Iran, Israel, and the Palestinians.
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