Concerning the recent Lebanese-Israeli conflict:
I am not a pawn on the board of an imaginary game, and neither are the rest of the Lebanese, Palestinian and Israeli civilians whose lives are being toyed with. This behavior on the part of these leaders that were elected to lead their people is deplorable. I am infuriated that such risks and actions can be taken with absolute disregard of the lives that are at stake, the lives of the people that make a country what it is.
Has this region learned absolutely nothing from the last 50 plus years? Have all the past wars and deaths gone in vain? What kind of a civilization is this where leaders trivialize the lives of their citizens for their own personal causes? What kind of a civilization is this where people cheer army warfare?
The 21st century seems to have given way to no advances in humanitarian values. At the end of the day life on this planet is governed by the big guys playing their own private game of risk with us mere civilians as their pawns. We don’t know who what why or when, but it doesn’t matter because it serves some greater purpose.
Now I have a question for the big guys out there: What greater purpose is there than protecting the sanctity of a human life at all costs?
This blog was created to honor the memory of Lebanese heroes of all sects who were assassinated for their patriotic stands. May God bless their souls and bless Lebanon.
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35 comments:
I can answer for them: land!
A beautiful post, Yasmine. Thank you,
mnuez
I share the feeling of being a pawn.
I can only hope no more innocent people will die. It is a very sad time.
Thank you for keeping this blog and take care.
I., Tel-Aviv.
Why then have the people of your country tolerated all what has gone on in Lebanon? Why have you allowed Hezbollah , a known terrorist organization to operate freely?
I thought the assassination of Hariri might have woken you up. Now unfortunately Israel must clean up the mess you have allowed to be made.
Anon 7:35,
tell your israel to free the prisoners, get out of the remaining piece of land that these so-called terrorists are fighting for. maybe then your slow mind would process the answer
Waiting to be recruited. To be torn off my regukar, everyday life, in order to join the Israeli army trying to make some order over there. Not with an intention to help Lebenon, and not in order to destroy it.Just in order to defend ourselves, our families and our lives.
We have withdrawn from Gaza, and Hamas government attacked. We have withdrawn from Lebanon, and Hizballah attacked.
We hold nothing against Lebanese people. We would love to live in peace with you, and encourage mutual tourism.
But first of all, we would love to live.
I also believe it is ridiculous for Israel to say that Lebanon has declared war upon them. HELLO the Hizballah people do not make up the entire Lebanese population! The whole country are not Hizbolla, just a particular group. And literally do you think that these hizbolla guys will quit all thier operations just because the Lebanese gov't ask them too? No, never in any country has a gang quit the violence just because they were asked to do so. Ok the innocent lives of people are being corrupted just because of the acts of a violent group. I believe the innocent people in Lebanon and Israel are being taunted with the unknown.
May God be with these innocent lives!
As an American and a Jew, I am continually horrified and outraged by our support of the Zionist nightmare. It is past time for us to cut the funds to Israel and end the catastrophe.
Anon 9:41 -
What a ridiculous comment.
Not all Germans were Nazis. Not all Italians were Facists.
All that matters is that Israel is being attacked by an armed faction that resides in Lebanon. It is the responsibility of a soverign government to police those within its population.
If it chooses not to do so - it is truly an act of war vs. Israel
If it can not do so - it can not claim soverignty over the land from which the attacks are coming from and should, therefore, relinquish control of it.
Yasmine Bleeth -- First we're gonna cut you off, then we're gonna kill you!
Love,
Eh
Anon 10:17
Even if one were to give in to the thrust of your argument, the battlefield is in the South of Lebanon. Not the airport, not Beirut, not the bridges. What Israel is carrying out is collective punishment. In case you haven't heard yet, it is against the Geneva convention (article 33). By taking hostages, Hizballah is also in violation of the Geneva Convention (article 34), but Hizballah are "terrorists" according to the IDF, who claims moral superiority over them.
PS: Lebanon has relinquished sovereignty over the south to peacekeeping forces some 30 years ago. Haven't you heard?
PPS: And all you Anons, could you please at least use imaginary names. This is getting a bit confusing.
Istephan I don't understand how a Christian can support extremists like HA.
in every country there are people in many levels of mindsets. yasmin asks: What greater purpose is there than protecting the sanctity of a human life at all costs?
well for some people thier interpretation of God's will, for instance, might be a greater purpose. they don't even notice it's the same God on both sides.
there are so many interests up there. israel neglects so many aspects of its normality just to maintain this army because she'll always have to defend herself and can't really evolve normally. should i blame the arab world for this?
it's the same with lebanese government. it has its own problems and historical wicknesses that make her harbour a body like hizbullah. i'm not sure you ever had a different choice really. but i wouldn't go as far as being naive like one of the commentators here saying the government cannot be responsible for every act done from within the country. actually, it is and it should, those are the rules of the political game.
i agree, yasmin, that you and i have different agendas, like, you know, living! but we choose to continue living in a place in which we can't always afford to live by our values.
to partisanpoet
Are you really THAT stupid???? As a jew and american you are automatically a zionist in the eyes of terrorists!! Do you not get out much?? Go back to sleep!!
Now I have a question for the big guys out there: What greater purpose is there than protecting the sanctity of a human life at all costs?
Freedom.
Anon. 7:35 - who gave Israel the *right* to go "clean up the mess"? Who ever said it was their job? That "mess" was started by them, by their invasions into Lebanon. Who asked you to come "help" us? If this is your "help" and "cleaning up" we don't want it. Go back home to the land you were given illegally.
The land where you treat the Palestinians worse than the Nazi's treated the Jews. How do the victims of something so horrible turn around and do the same and even worse to others?
How can Israel claim to be more "moral and civilized" than the Hezballah?
Hezballah took two prisoners of war.
The IDF has killed over 50 civilians including women and children, in Lebanon. How is that moral and civilized?
They are committing a genocide on over 1.4 million Palestinians. That's moral and civilized?
Who made you 'god' Israel? Oh that's right, the US...
partisanpoet - thank you.
Thank you for seeing the injustice that is happening in the name of "keeping Israel safe".
Thank you for valuing life over propaganda.
Thank you for thinking.
Thank you for seeing the Palestinians, Lebanese, Jews, Muslims, Christians, and everyone as people, not by their religion.
Thank you for being human in the best sense of the word.
lebaonese canadian - i am not the Anon you sent your message to, but wow! you have some seriously out of wack views. First of all hezbollah gave isreal the right when they kidnapped 2 soldiers on isreal soil. That was absolutely an act of war started by HA. Secondly, is it your premise that hezbollah is more civilized that isreal?!?!?! So you sympathize with terrorists!! Yeah, and the poor palestinians!! Electing ruthless corrupt terrorists to rule their government, and then squander or hoard the aid they have been given instead of helping their own people!!! Isreal pulls out of gaza, so that is a sign of weakness to Hamas, and they attack... real civilized there too. Sorry, don't have a whole lot of sympathy for them. Buy a clue!!
People will desire peace only when everyday life is not lived in constant economic misery. The Arab worlds' social / religous system will never promote freedom and without freedom to create and to change the ills of that society things will remain the same. The world has changed but the Muslim culture is stuck a thousand years in the past.
Susha:
The battlefield is where the enemy is deployed, headquartered, or housed - as well as supply lines to said sites.
Regarding the Government of Lebanon's complicity in this action: the fact that Lebanon had to recall her ambassador to the US for making the exact statements as made by Hizb leaders speaks volumes.
It is time for the militants to come out from behind the women and children, and stop the "it's not us, it's the militant faction" bull. If there is any good to come out of this crisis, maybe that will be it.
Hamas is Hamas is Hamas. Hizb is Hizb is Hizb. Or perhaps it would be better stated that Hezb is Syria is Iran. Because we all know that's what is really going on anyway.
Sincerely,
Anon 10:17
Israel is using the kidnappings as an excuse to create total chaos in Middle East so that the West will provide more proxies to fight Israel's War.
"Israel is using the kidnappings as an excuse to create total chaos in Middle East so that the West will provide more proxies to fight Israel's War."
Yes, and what was is that? The one that's lasted thousands of years? The war to exist and not be wiped out?
Go to hell.
The issue here is the force used by Israel, do they think that this destruction will deter terrorism?
The fact is, they have the US in their pocket, and when they decide to play that card, god help us, isn't he the reason this all started anyway?
annon 3:23PM,
According to you the Israelis have two choices. Do nothing and let the terrorists do as they please. Fight back and encourage more terrorism.
Given those choices self respect demands a fight.
The best way to stop it? Stop the terrorists, because from the looks of things no one with any power at all over the situation seems interested in restraining the Israelis.
anon said:
Israel is using the kidnappings as an excuse to create total chaos in Middle East...
You know it would be easy for some really, really, really, really, really, really, smart guy to deprive them of that excuse. How could it be done? Ask me later. I'm thinking.
damn, i'm at a lost...
Beautifull post!
As a dutch-israeli (i have lived my whole life in Amsterdam, but have been around in Israel, Palestine, Jordan etc) I have had to defend israel/myself today for reacting the way israel did. allthough i think Israel has a "right" to react after what happened, the way they did and the sorrow it's leading to...... and rockets into Haifa (a quite mixed arab-israeli town for cryin out loud)oh man, even though the way out seems so simple (just let everybody be, and learn to life allong together) it is at the same time because of extremists on both sides so hard to achieve. This region and the people in it deserve so much better.
Yari
ahum
i'm at a loss
Yari
The answer to this is simple. Some people love the death of their foes more than the lives of their people.
Consider, one side goes to war to recover and protect their people that have been taken.
The other side hide behind their population in the hopes that their deaths will bring international support.
Until people refuse to be used stuff like this will keep up.
The most important thing for Lebanese at the moment is to stand together because whats done is done. Hizballah overstepped its lines by acting on behalf of an entire country - a weak and divided country. But to aggravate that division would give Israel and Syria dangerous pretexts to intervene in Lebanese politics and that would make matters much worse. We need to be unified and firm against Israeli violence and we can start showing our anger at other Lebanese once the crisis is over.
Many of our leaders have no values but many citizens do. Hang in, our hearts are with you.
What greater purpose is there than protecting the sanctity of a human life at all costs?
Though every loss of innocent life is tragic, we are all fortunate that there have been many heroes who realized that there are much greater purposes than any single human life.
Are these attacks on Lebanon similar to the US attacks on Cambodia?
Hamas & Hezbellah did not exist before Israel started their militaristic land grabbing. Desperate people do desperate things. Israel routinely kills and kidnaps. Where is the outrage?
It is a beautiful post Yasmine.
I am praying for peace and that
God will intervene and bring peace.
Lebanon lost
This region has to learn two things:
1. Israel is back after almost 2000 of exile, and now it is here to stay.
2. We will not sit tight when being attacked. We've been too patient for too long, but no more.
Every territory we evacuated is now serves as the launchpad for the attacks against Israel. We pulled out of Lebanon - we're being attacked from there. We pulled out of Gaza - same result as in case of the Lebanon. That's the lesson that we, as Israelis, have learned too well and there will be consequences when we make our decisions in the future, regionwise.
Apart from this, we have no quarrel with the Lebanese non-shiite population. I'm sorry you have to pay for the failures of your own government. And to all those who want Israel to be concerned about the civilians in Lebanon - think again. Our first and foremost concern is OUR OWN civilians. It is unthinkable to be worried about the other side (of course, the people on the other side are not less important), while your own people, and your country's sovereignty is under attack.
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