September 21, 2024
By Nasser Kandil
• The fire that separates metals into their core elements is the same fire that fuses metals of different sizes and shapes. Perhaps the Lebanese, too, needed to be tested by the flames that swept across their land through this bloody targeting, to reveal whether the societal divisions – even to the point of civil war, should the occupying entity launch a war against them – would hold. Or would this fire fuse them together, presenting a united front that strengthens their national identity?
• The recent targeting of Hezbollah’s infrastructure, along with the reactions from major political and partisan circles, has demonstrated that the differences among the Lebanese regarding the resistance, its weapons, and its role, have not devolved into hostile polarisation. Instead, during this harsh time, those differences transformed into a scene of human and national solidarity – even among the fiercest opponents of the resistance, like the Lebanese Forces, who maintained their stance. Others, like former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, the Free Patriotic Movement’s Gebran Bassil, and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, moved to align more closely with the resistance.
• This evolving national and political landscape is noteworthy, especially for those seeking a less reactive discourse on internal disagreements, such as the Lebanese presidential file and party or sectarian sensitivities. It is vital to tread carefully and avoid revisiting Lebanon’s thorny history of conflict, as reopening old wounds could cause further harm.
• Lebanon’s resilience also shone through its medical sector, where no hospital hesitated to answer the call of duty. Health Minister Firas al-Abiad remarked that, despite hospitals not having received their dues from their heroic and honourable role during the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the medical community – doctors, nurses, and staff – demonstrated an extraordinary sense of responsibility. Minister al-Abiad deserves gratitude for his leadership of the health sector during these trying times.
• On the borders, Lebanon’s brilliance was equally apparent, as the resistance gathered the wounded and the remains of its martyrs. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the resistance fought with awe-inspiring resilience, even with thousands pulled out of service. It seemed as if they were entering the first day of battle with full strength and vitality.
• This is the Lebanon we hope will endure after the war. Today’s challenges have instilled in us a profound sense of pride and grandeur. And while a few discordant voices speak about the resistance’s environment, and claim, “you don’t resemble us”, the overwhelming majority of the Lebanese stand united, as one.
