Iran and Lebanon: Fates Intertwined.
By Hanna Samir Kassab

The fate of Lebanon and the world rests fleetingly in the hands of the few Iranian dissenters now protesting the government. Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the current President of Iran is holding the world hostage. Over the past few years, he constantly torments the world with Iran’s nuclear advancements that seem to be progressing on a weekly basis. Some are quick to point out that as a sovereign nation, Iran has the right to invest in peaceful nuclear activities.

This argument may be plausible, but it fails to understand that Iran does not exist within a vacuum. If it does not cease their nuclear ambitions, Israel will strike. Israel will strike Iran to protect their own people from all
existential threats. Iran is an existential threat to Israel because, on many occasions, Mr. Ahmedinejad has called for the end of Israel; for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” You can debate what this means, but the real issue is that Israel is taking this as a threat. The President has repeatedly denied the Holocaust only to further provoke Israel.

In 1980, Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear facilities with ease, speed, efficiency and without hesitation. This was despite the fact that they violated International Law and Saudi Arabian sovereignty to accomplish this task. This is a good indication of how Israel will react to Iran’s present nuclear ambition. Thus it is not a question of IF Israel will attack, but when. If the Israeli government could trade tens of people they consider terrorists for the bodies of their dead, imagine what they will do for the millions of living people within their borders.

If the Israeli’s strike, Hamas and of course Hezbollah will join the attack in a war against Israel. This begs a few other questions: will the USA become involved to assist their ally? What will happen to Lebanon? How many people will die? These are all questions worth asking. There are of course alternatives that many in power are currently ignoring. Instead of focusing on these disaster scenarios, one should turn attention to the courageous Iranians who are standing up against their illegal tyrannical government.

One can make the argument that Iran’s nuclear disarmament could happen if a more cooperative leader replaced Ahmedinejad. This would then lead to a more peaceful arrangement in the Middle East as it removes any excuse for Israel to attack. In addition, Israeli foreign policy toward Lebanon must be revised in order to pursue a more productive line of defence

We believe strongly that Israel should not hold Lebanon and its peaceful people responsible. Why Lebanon should pay the price for Hezbollah’s actions? The Jewish state needs to reconsider its policy in this regard. Why to hold a moderate country that is currently being strangled by a rogue party? It’s a well-known fact that Hezbollah’s military might is far superior than the Lebanese army and that the Lebanese government itself is terrorized and manipulated by Hezbollah.

A civilized country should have the monopoly over the use of force. Militarized powers within a state only create inequalities and civil war. Yet Hezbollah refuses to disarm. Hopefully they will one day, if the right people make the right choices. Hezbollah gets their funding from Iran. Imagine now, if this funding was suddenly cut off. It would be like cutting the power from a television; the television would turn off. Lebanon would thus be liberated. This idea may sound too simple, but it is something worth considering.

In order to defeat the current nuclear standoff and gain peace, the Americans and Israelis must support the removal of Ahmedinejad. If Iran wants nuclear power, the people should elect a leader who desires to build up rather than destroy. In this, Lebanon herself will finally be free from her vices.

January 25/2010