A Tale of Two Men: A Lebanese & An Israeli
Elza S. Maalouf
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us..." Charles Dickens' words rang true in Lebanon's mythic drama!
A Lebanese and an Israeli - Khalil and Oren- had their hopes high in the spring of 2006 for their respective countries for different reasons. Now they both feel an ominous despair after their sense of safety and security was snatched away from them on July 12th.
Khalil a Lebanese entrepreneur who decided to move back to Lebanon a year ago after spending 10 years in Canada and to start his new electronics sales business. He set up shop in Beirut and did not spare any expense on this new venture believing in the promising prospects of the country. This summer season was the most anticipated for all businesses in Beirut, Khalil stocked his shop with the latest gadgets from mp3 players to computers loaded with the latest software...
Khalil's shop was completely destroyed in this war. He fled with his family on a ship to Cyprus and flew back to Canada with nothing but a couple suitcases...He really wanted to stay in his country and help rebuild its economy, he desperately wanted to believe in a new Lebanon. Sadly, on the plane back to Canada he told my friend that he will never set a foot back in Lebanon, the safety of his kids and securing their future overshadowed any patriotic sentiment he had left.
Oren an Israeli computer engineer, was working on a peace initiative for Israel/Palestine. He believed that there will be no safe future for Israel unless the Palestinians are treated with dignity and empowered in a strong state of their own. He spent the spring of 2006 organizing meetings and seminars to foster a better understanding of the issues among Israelis and to work toward a comprehensive action-plan that supports an organic long term solution...
The events in Lebanon exposed the cracks in the Israeli military and governmental agencies and deflated the bubble of safety that many Israelis like Oren thought they had. He believed that with Kadima, a newly created 'forward' party in power, there was a realistic possibility for a systemic solution and a way out of fear for both sides of the conflict. Now fear spread its wings again on the Israeli society, its army is demoralized and the right wing extremists are voicing their anger again. Oren continues in his endeavors to find the elusive peace with more unknowns then before.
For a moment there the true winds of change were blowing in Khalil's and Oren's direction. However, these events declared loudly to everybody that the Middle East problem is a world problem not a regional one. The intricate internal challenges in Lebanon along with the blinded strategy of the Israeli government and the US administration's support for such a strategy, adding to a mix of Shia/Sunni divide with Iran trying to assert itself as a major power in the region and the Arab Sunnis waking up to that fact... a disastrous mix of ingredients that keeps the region and its people in constant turmoil.
This is the TEST for the international community! With Europe on board now with the US, renewing the focus on peace in the region seems more tangible and maybe attainable?!
A Lebanese and an Israeli - Khalil and Oren- had their hopes high in the spring of 2006 for their respective countries for different reasons. Now they both feel an ominous despair after their sense of safety and security was snatched away from them on July 12th.
Khalil a Lebanese entrepreneur who decided to move back to Lebanon a year ago after spending 10 years in Canada and to start his new electronics sales business. He set up shop in Beirut and did not spare any expense on this new venture believing in the promising prospects of the country. This summer season was the most anticipated for all businesses in Beirut, Khalil stocked his shop with the latest gadgets from mp3 players to computers loaded with the latest software...
Khalil's shop was completely destroyed in this war. He fled with his family on a ship to Cyprus and flew back to Canada with nothing but a couple suitcases...He really wanted to stay in his country and help rebuild its economy, he desperately wanted to believe in a new Lebanon. Sadly, on the plane back to Canada he told my friend that he will never set a foot back in Lebanon, the safety of his kids and securing their future overshadowed any patriotic sentiment he had left.
Oren an Israeli computer engineer, was working on a peace initiative for Israel/Palestine. He believed that there will be no safe future for Israel unless the Palestinians are treated with dignity and empowered in a strong state of their own. He spent the spring of 2006 organizing meetings and seminars to foster a better understanding of the issues among Israelis and to work toward a comprehensive action-plan that supports an organic long term solution...
The events in Lebanon exposed the cracks in the Israeli military and governmental agencies and deflated the bubble of safety that many Israelis like Oren thought they had. He believed that with Kadima, a newly created 'forward' party in power, there was a realistic possibility for a systemic solution and a way out of fear for both sides of the conflict. Now fear spread its wings again on the Israeli society, its army is demoralized and the right wing extremists are voicing their anger again. Oren continues in his endeavors to find the elusive peace with more unknowns then before.
For a moment there the true winds of change were blowing in Khalil's and Oren's direction. However, these events declared loudly to everybody that the Middle East problem is a world problem not a regional one. The intricate internal challenges in Lebanon along with the blinded strategy of the Israeli government and the US administration's support for such a strategy, adding to a mix of Shia/Sunni divide with Iran trying to assert itself as a major power in the region and the Arab Sunnis waking up to that fact... a disastrous mix of ingredients that keeps the region and its people in constant turmoil.
This is the TEST for the international community! With Europe on board now with the US, renewing the focus on peace in the region seems more tangible and maybe attainable?!
1 Comments:
Thank you !
I usually have the feeling that Israel is an island surrounded by a sea of fanatic blind hate. I am sad for all the people that die or lose everything because of wars. People that have life, people to care for and that care for them, dreams… this is not how it should be. I wish we could take all the fanatics from both sides and put them on a small island far away… let them enjoy the company of each other while we could just live our life in peace. I traveled for a year now in south and Central America and when I first crossed the border between Mexico and Guatemala I was shocked… there is not gate, the passport control is in a small town 10 minutes drive from the border itself.. and the “border” … well, how shell I describe it? It is just a funny busy small market and nothing else. No gates, no passport check, no soldiers…
It is not a dream, it is just on the other side of the same round old planet.
I respect people that believe in good but why we translate everything to hate and power? Every small or big innovation was used later as a weapon? Is our basic sad nature will be our destiny?
I wish I could go skiing in Lebanon, I heard it might be good. I wish I could go ski in Syria at the same place that used to be Syria and now is part of Israel.
But, we withdraw from the Gaza strip and what we got in return? more and more missiles on our southern cities, we withdraw from Lebanon and what we got in return? Repetitive attacks from the other side of the international border. The result is that now we will not withdraw from the west bank as planned. Why should we?
When Saadat came to Jerusalem there was a feeling that we have a partner and we gave him a chance.
We even gave a chance to Arrafat which was a terrorist and eventually never changed.
Peace making need two willing sides. If only one side is interested with that it will not work.
All you guys have to do is to show that there is a honest serious will and we will do our best. Saadat did it and Husain did it.
I know that just is not a property of one side only. I know both sides of the story but the question is weather we all are willing to com premise?
I do, most of my friends do and believe me, if there will be any serious second side like it proved two times in the past already, this region will live in peace.
For example, if Assad would have say that he gives Israel a true chance and stop his support in terror for a while…
I will never stop hopping.
Shachar
Israel
Shachar_g@hotmail.com
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