Which Lebanese Think What of Hezbollah? and Why?

The sensation-driven Western and Arab media have been rehashing the so-called 'eye opener' results from a 'scientific survey' conducted in Beirut between July 24 and July 26 by the Beirut Center for Research and Information. 800 Lebanese were surveyed on a variety of topics including the performance of the government during the crisis as well as how Hezbollah and its actions are viewed in general. According to this poll 87 percent of Lebanese support Hizbollah's fight with Israel, a rise of 29 percent on a similar poll conducted in February. It interestingly shows a rising in the level of support for Hizbullah's resistance from non-Shiite communities. Eighty percent of Christians polled supported Hezbollah along with 80 percent of Druze and 89 percent of Sunnis.

The death of innocent civilians and the destruction of the Lebanese infrastructure took its toll. Lebanese no longer blame Hezbollah for sparking the war by kidnapping the Israeli soldiers, but Israel and the US instead. The latest poll by the Beirut Center found that 8 percent of Lebanese feel the US supports Lebanon, down from 38 percent in January.

Did the media expect different results?? Guest 'experts' on Larry King and other shows repeat these numbers with shock: the Blasphemy!! Lebanese are under siege, dying, loosing their homes, their jobs, their country's hope and infrastructure, knowing that the Western world can easily let go of them because they 'harbor' a terrorist organization...and the West is asking them to think 'rationally' about who, started what, and why?

It is a well known fact that when it comes to safety and survival, people regress to adapt to the present life conditions. Hey, even Democrats supported George Bush's war in Iraq after the tragedy of 9/11. Looking back, we can see how people feel and make decisions when their loved ones are hurt and when their National security is in danger.

These are the Lebanese who were surveyed. Not the Lebanese who were re-building a state-of-the-art infrastructure, re-designing the government and electoral laws , and woking hard on National Unity. These are the Lebanese who were divided, used and abused by Syria, the PLO, Isarel, the Arab world and the international community.

Yes, there is a lot of guilt to go around all the parties involved and the Lebanese leaders especially. However, with all the responsibility that the different Lebanese factions bear for their loyalty to the tribe/clan/sect instead of Nation and being influenced by Syria, Iran, Israel or the US, not by a patriotic agenda, the Lebanese people are not solely to blame for Hezbollah's existence and actions. Here's a short list of the causes of this current crisis:

• This US administration is one of the first administartion proactively promoting 'democracy' in the Middle East, but alas, with no appropriate implementation startegies that can match the various value-systems in the region. Geo-political startegist Dr Don Beck offers a more appropriate approach he calls "Stratified democracy" suggesting that different democratic forms may be appropriate for different stages of cultural development and ways of thinking. Instead of the cookie-cutter Western style democracy suggested by this administartion. (you can read more about the concept http://www.spiraldynamics.net/)
• The US supported UN resolution 1559 and helped the Lebanese government demand the withdrawl of Syria, but left a weak Lebanon alone to focus on the mess created in Iraq. The United Nations, European Union and the US did not continue the process of rebuilding the only true democracy in the Arab world; rebuilding its army, government institutions etc... Did they think that after a 30 year Syrian occupation and many wars Lebanon can do it on its own?
• The military vacuum created by Syria's withdrawl was filled immidiately by Hezbolla's militant arm encouraged by Syria (to whom Hezbollah stayed a faithful ally) and financed by Iran, its ideological source. Too bad the other super-powers in the world did not do the same for the Lebanese army!
• Lebanese leaders who were divided between true Patriotic leaders including Walid Jumblat, Saad Hariri, Sameer Geagea, Nabih Berri(?), and Syrian allies including Franjieh, Karami, Nasrallah, Arslan and Aoun who tiptoes around both camps. The old sectarian divide of Christians against Muslims, and Druze against Chritians, was replaced by a new divide of patriotic loyality vs. Syrian-Iran loyality and something in between (yes, Lebanese politics keeps getting more and more confusing). Now, Sunnis, Shiites, Christians and Druze are equally divided betwen both camps
• Israel made a fatal mistake invading Lebanon in 1982, withdrew completely in May 2000, but kept hundreds (Human rights watch account for more than 30) of Lebanese detainee in Israeli jails with no plan of returning them to their country. Israel says that these Lebanese are a threat to its security even though IDF took these Lebanese from Lebanese soil.
• Hezbollah kept its armed miltia and focused on its own dream of a state with a state, with no account for National Unity or Lebanese sovereignty. All other Lebanese miltias disarmed. If anything, Iran, Hezbollah and Syria want a return on their investment. The billion of dollars advanced by Iran and blessed by Syria had a specific agenda that is unfolding now. The fortresses they built were not for the Lebanese people and Lebanon, they were Hezbollah's...
• The Israeli government shortsidedness and violence against Lebanon is not providing the safety and security for the Israeli people and is elevating Hezbollah to a cult status among some Lebanese and Arabs. even though Israel is trying to target Hezbollah locations, these locations are unfortunatelly situated among civilian targets. Nothing can justify the death of innocent civilians. This strategy and even the most intended precision is not working! Israel is loosing innocent civilians too...how is that working for their families? how much safety is Israel providing now?
• The destruction of bridges, airports and buildings....

Time for Fresh thinking!! Long term solutions for the Arab-Isareli conflict are mandatory. For the people's sake on all sides: for Lebanese, Israeli , Palestinian and Syrian children's sake, not for the few egocentric leaders...

Back to that 'Eye opener' survey...This survey does not represent the true feeling of all Lebanese people. Not the Sunni, Shiite, Christian and Druze Lebanese I talk to. Most Lebanese are in pain about the souls we are loosing, angry about the destruction and the displaced, and angry at the show of power on both sides that is sacrificing their future and their children's future...