Lessons from Lebanon

Recent weeks have been fruitful ones for Lebanese who have passed the last 3 and half years amid chaos and war. The first and most important event was the meeting in Doha. It led to an agreement born out of the bloody clashes in Beirut.

The Doha Agreement had three basic articles: first, agreement on election the president; second, forming the national unity government; and third, agreement on the new electoral law. The first two articles have been enacted so far despite all hardships.

Chief Commander of the Army, Michel Suleiman, who had demonstrated his moderation and ability for crisis control during the recent stormy years, became the new president and national unity government that was the main demand of the opposition became realized.

With restart of Lebanon’s national parliament, MPs will start discussion on the new electoral law. Along with the new air of mutual understanding, another good news for Lebanese happened: the prisoner exchange program between Israel and Hezbollah that had been initiated with Germany’s mediation. This was the biggest and most important prisoner exchange case between Israel and Hezbollah.

Besides 4 other Lebanese captives and nearly 200 Lebanese, Palestinian and Arab martyrs, Samir Qantar, who had been imprisoned for killing Israeli citizens about thirty years ago, was swapped for two Israeli soldiers who had been taken captive by Hezbollah during the its military operation in 2005.

Release of Lebanese captives and martyrs that was planned as a political propaganda by Hezbollah, created a wave of joy and a sentiment of victory among Lebanese, Palestinians, and other Arab nations. In return, what Israelis received where two dead bodies, one of them expected to be alive. This bought frustration for Israelis.

We should congratulate all Lebanese, especially Hezbollah’s leader, Seyyed Hassan Nasrullah, for their successive victories and weathering all the crises their country was afflicted with. Hezbollah has had a brilliant record during the last three and a half years.

Although Israel’s crimes during the 33-day war with Lebanon was a heavy blow against the Arab country, especially its economy, Hezbollah foiled malicious attempts of Israelis and during this war, which Condoleezza Rice admitted it was a prelude to creation of a new Middle East, and proved to all Lebanese parties that they can’t deny rights of Lebanon’s minorities by taking U.S. support.

The course of developments in Lebanon, formation of the national unity cabinet, and prisoner exchange at the date set by Hezbollah are all indicators of this Shiite group’s powerful diplomacy and return of all Lebanese to collective wisdom and observation of others’ rights. Friends and foes of Hezbollah can learn some lessons from these events:

1. Hezbollah launched a military operation two years ago, to captivate Israeli soldiers and exchange them with Lebanese prisoners, especially Samir Qantar, who for Lebanese is the symbol of resistance in Israeli prisons. Today, the goals of that operation have been actualized and Hezbollah has proved that it is committed to its promises aimed to defend Lebanon’s dignity.
2. Prisoner exchange proved that Israel could return its captives without starting a war. Now it must answer its citizens and the world that was it necessary to launch a war that caused heavy damages for both sides and finally ended with Israel’s defeat?
3. definitely the exchange time was set by Hezbollah, since with its correct management and selecting the appropriate time, this group managed to return a sentiment of national unity to Lebanon along with the national unity cabinet being formed, after 3 and a half years of domestic strife. National unity was severely weakened during these years due to political, military and security struggles and smear campaigns.
4. By calling the prisoner exchange procedure, “Redhwan Operation” Hezbollah honored the memory of Lebanese, Palestinian, and other Arab martyrs. It introduced this victory as the fruit of devotions made by its warriors. The prisoner exchange reinforced the sense of resistance, devotion and hope among Lebanese, Palestinians and other nations of the region.
5. Syria was successful in extricating itself from the crisis in Lebanon. This gave them a chance to modify their situation in Lebanon and the region and find a better condition in negotiations with Israel. Understanding their precarious situation and the pressures they received because of Lebanon during the recent years, they stepped into negotiations with Israel with mediation of Turkey’s Islamic government to improve their regional and international conditions and distance from the threat they would face at the final months of Bush’s administration.

Bashar Assad’s trip to Paris was another opportunity for Syria achieved due to improvement of conditions in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s victories; however, Hezbollah’s other regional ally, i.e. Iran, missed the chance since it is not engaged in regional and international diplomacy.

6. Breakout of impasse in Lebanon was definitely a result of the Doha Agreement. At those days I wrote that this agreement can be a model of other crises of the region. I suggested a Second Doha Summit for solving Palestine’s problem. In fact, Lebanon’s developments represent the new atmosphere of the region. If the actors understand the conditions precisely and use rational diplomacy instead of radicalism, unique chances reduce the threat of war and sanction and people of the region can gain their rights better.
7. Besides Lebanon, developments in Syria, Palestine and Lebanon signal a kind of peace. Iran’s nuclear case can undergo the same process with the Geneva talks and promises made, releasing the country from the threat of war and sanctions of the UN Security Council.

During the agreements in Lebanon, all parties consented to their minimum wants. Inevitably, international actors accepted demands of the resistance movement. Although Americans act toughly on these cases, especially Iran’s nuclear program, a model that satisfies the international community and convinces the Americans is not inaccessible.