“The only thing that allows evil to triumph is the inaction of good men.” This apocryphal quote, attributed to Edmund Burke, takes on its full meaning today, as the world seems faced with a shortage of these “men of good.” “Lebanon suffers incessant bombings from the Israeli government, civilians are mutilated, displaced and thrown into the streets, with no end in sight to this tragedy. The so-called fight against “terrorism. » rages in densely populated neighborhoods, revealing a harsh reality: the hypocrisy and double standards of the West have never been more blatant.
How long will Israel continue to hold up the victim card, escaping responsibility for its actions, while inflicting the same violence it once suffered on innocent people who had nothing to do with its horrific pass ?
Anti-Semitism was not born in the Middle East: let us not forget the dark days of what we call the “moral West”.
For how long will the “superpowers” bow to Israel and consider that the lives of the Palestinians, and now the Lebanese, are not essential? What form of democratic values are we subject to in this part of the world?
“Being an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but being a friend is often fatal,” former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger reportedly said. How true this is, and how true it is more and more every day! Iraqis, Afghans and Syrians have all paid the price for promised friendship and the building of democratic societies.
Since October 7, Palestinian civilians have been paying the price for bullets and bombs supplied to Israel, the United States’ only so-called “democratic and moral ally” in the Middle East. However, under the leadership of the Israeli Prime Minister, state terror has reached unprecedented levels. Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously pushed for the United States to invade Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein in early 2002, is no friend of the United States. It has irreparably tarnished their image in the Middle East. It is time to view this man as a threat to the relationships that America wishes to establish with the people of this region.
State of “democratic apartheid”
Ultimately, the policy of Mr. Netanyahu and his government has been to fuel division and undermine the Palestinian Authority, labeling any movement opposing the illegal occupation and population displacement as “terrorist.” Every revolutionary movement in history has, at one time or another, been labeled “terrorist.” The uprising in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto against the Nazis in April 1942 is a poignant example. Although ultimately crushed by their brutal oppressors, these brave souls who dared to resist injustice are today seen as heroes, symbols of defiance against tyranny, fighting for their very existence.
Why are Palestinians not allowed to fight for their legitimate aspirations when everything else has been taken away from them?
What happened to the “strong and united Europe”, now fractured and much more vocal about Russia’s war against Ukraine, issuing sanctions against Moscow at every turn? Why has his voice suddenly fallen silent when it comes to Israel? Although there are some brave and brilliant voices for whom we are deeply grateful, where is Europe’s collective cry when Palestinian and Lebanese civilians – mainly women and children – are massacred?
In our post-truth world, human lives have become mere statistics. The truth, it seems, no longer has value; it has been buried under empty speeches and empty indignations, eclipsed by the rubble of the bombs which are supposed to “export democracy” to so-called “poor savages”. The real goal, however, appears to be the preservation of the world’s only “democratic apartheid” state.
The powerful have truly fallen very low!
Respect our sovereignty
As a Lebanese citizen, I write to say that the time for a ceasefire has come. It is time for countries that preach peace and the importance of diplomatic solutions to take action.
The Progressive Socialist Party calls on the “moral” West to show the same indignation and courage that it has when speaking about the war in Ukraine, and to apply it to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
We call on theocratic figures in our region, of all stripes, to stop involving this country and other neighboring countries in proxy wars that only result in suffering, death and destruction.
We call on all parties, international and regional, Iran and Israel, to respect our sovereignty, as an independent state seeking a ceasefire and an end to the bloodshed. Finally, we call on the different political factions of Lebanon to reach consensus, unite and elect a president, and form a government, in order to save what remains of this country which has endured so many wars, failures and transgressions. Let us act before the cycle of violence engulfs us. Finally, we demand that United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 be quickly implemented and that the Lebanese army assume its rightful role.
May Lebanon be protected and may we one day see a free Palestine.
By Teymour JOUMBLATT
Member of Parliament and President of the Progressive Socialist Party
“The only thing that allows evil to triumph is the inaction of good men.” This apocryphal quote, attributed to Edmund Burke, takes on its full meaning today, when the world seems to be facing a shortage of these “good men”. Lebanon suffers from incessant bombings by the Israeli government, civilians are mutilated, displaced and thrown into the streets, without…
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