THE first step first step towards protecting Lebanon is the transformation of Beirut into a weaponless capital. Lebanon will not sit still unless the Army effectively performs its role in defending the country and preventing any outside assault, as well as attacking those engaged in internal corruption. Only then the Lebanese can say that they live in a secure country, which has no voice for mercenaries, who use Lebanon as a ‘mail box’ for regional and international disputes.
The country’s speech has been completed, starting from Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri. Through the use of a sincere national language, the speech stressed the need to heal all wounds and remove Lebanon from the list of the first 35 deteriorating countries in the world. Besides regaining the lost economic and politic glory of the country, this will also lead to the stability of the Arab region.

Some unscrupulous groups, which are ready to accept anything for their own benefit, seem keen on depleting the Arab treasury to serve personal interests. This was clearly manifested in the burnt mosque in Abu Haidar Tower, which witnessed a painful scenario in preparation for a terrible civil sectarian war, while hearing the snakes hiss from more than one platform.

Suleiman’s call for arming the Lebanese Military implies that legitimacy is the main concern in combating attackers. The West will continue supporting the Israelis lurking in Lebanon as long as there is a parallel authority trying to meddle with the country’s decision on defense-related issues, while the local forces build small states on the wreckage of Lebanese institutions. In case the weapons land in legitimate hands, the entire world will not dare cover the Israeli enemy. In fact, the whole world will be held responsible if Israel is not punished for provoking Lebanon. Only then the world can acknowledge the triplicity of the Army, people and opposition, which Hezbollah has been praising for reasons found in the soul of its regional operator.

Under such circumstances, the people, in spite of their political and sectarian differences, will become an opposition supportive of the Army. No party will monopolize a noble emblem in the interest of another. The Lebanese and Arabs will then stop worrying about the possible recurrence of a destructive civil war, which caused massive damages not only in Lebanon but also in the whole Arab world.       

Armless Beirut actually means it should be a capital for everyone not governed by fear of various sides. It should not be threatened again by new individual incidents that later turn out to be underrated wars. At this point, Hezbollah and its secretary-general must bear the responsibility of proving the veracity of the latter’s political speech in which he presented the equation, ‘firing Beirut equals firing Tel Aviv’. He should first help Beirut get rid of unlawful weapons; otherwise, the endless political Lebanese disputes will be transformed into a group punishment for certain sects.

In other words, protecting Beirut from the inside is an initial step towards defending it from the outside. What would they gain if the Lebanese capital is accessible by this militia or another, while being protected against the Israeli fire? Is it not more severe and destructive if brothers fight each other rather than the Israeli attack?

For the ‘Beirut vs. Tel Aviv’ equation to be useful, Hezbollah should take the initiative to withdraw its weapons from Beirut.  It must hand over its weapons to the Lebanese Army to become a neutral Lebanese party, not affiliated to any group. It should also take this initiative to help the country overcome the dire consequences of sectarian conflicts caused by regional disputes. If this happens, Hezbollah will not only find the Lebanese standing by its side, but also the Arabs. Will Hezbollah prove its worth as a Lebanese party and respond to the calls of the president and prime minister? 

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com