At War in … New York (bis)

Summer in New York is hot, full of tourists. On weekends, Many New Yorkers leave the city, to the beach at a driving distance. But, despite the weather and the summer vacations, New York nightlife remains untouched; except, these days, for many Lebanese…

We are indeed at least 14 hours away from Beirut (7hours flight to Europe, then 5hours flight to Beirut, you add to this a two-hours wait between flights.). To get to Tyre, you need a couple of additional driving hours south. That brings it to 17hours in total (when you add the hour of hugs and kisses at the Beirut airport.). Fortunately, the news these days fly in matter of seconds and most of us here live at Lebanon’s time…

Today, the Israeli newspapers have a major dilemma to deal with. Is “Dahiye” part of Beirut? If it is, (which it seems they would like it to be), then Nasrallah is not a man of his word. Why? Because he said the resistance will bomb Tel Aviv (Israel’s capital) if they bomb ours-Beirut. And he didn’t … yet. The way, this dilemma is pictured through their news, suggests that the Israelis seem to enjoy more the fact that Nasrallah didn’t “dare” hitting TA (yet) than the fact that TA was not hit (yet).

For those who didn’t know, Dahiye is the favorite target of Israeli planes and got its name from its location (in Arabic Dahiye means suburb).

This could have been one of the so many stories or comments that we could have discussed yesterday or the day before when we met with other Lebanese at night here in Manhattan. Our weekends are not the same anymore. How can they be? It seems like the days are meant for gathering all kind of information, articles stories and rumors. The nights are the time of truth! The meeting sounds first like a normal one; a local bar, a familiar restaurant, or somebody’s place like the old “normal” days. We order the same drink or entrée. We start eating or drinking while asking the “normal” questions. “Kifak habibi? Mnih? Mechta’lak ana?” “… Ahlaaaan!” (I just noticed another friend sitting further away) “wlek waynak ya zalame?” While we are playing the ritual, we are waiting, watching, expecting, the whisper, the word, “l’appat” which will start it all. We seem all like wolves ready to jump; we have been training all day long. It will come from where you never expected it, from the person who (you thought) cared the least about Politics. “Shefet shou sar elyoum?” (Did you see what happened today?) and that’s it. No need to ask: “where?”

The others feel relieved, it was not them who started it, not this time. They all know they would have … if the ritual lasted longer.

I always refused to have TV home. One reason is to block CNN, “The most trusted news” (as they like to call themselves -No comments) and the alike i.e. all the other US news. When I am visiting a friend, I get curious to see what they (CNN) have to say. Lately, it seems, they are presenting the “other side” to their public through a show Hollywoodly entitled “Inside Hezbollah”. Waw! Journalism at its “apogee”. Believe me; it raises any doubts about Hezbollah’s real intentions. The crucial moment comes when they show simultaneously an image of both Nasrallah and Ben Laden. They both indeed have long beards and some weird clothing. It feels like telling you… “See?” Then they show the combatants walking on an Israeli flag with their weapons. Check mate. (Are you telling me that they dared walking on Israel’s flag? These must be terrorists)

Yesterday, I received a video from Lebanon, filmed there by some friends. It is a letter and a message, from some young Lebanese resisting by living and creating, to those out there that still love them. You will find the link on this page. No comments! Oh, just one

“Hi Helena… shta’tellik. Keep the good work.”

A good friend of mine was wondering the other day, “what can we do to help? Can we do something from here or should we be there? Money is important. Find the organization that you feel most comfortable with and donate, donate, donate. You know at least one, the Red Cross, but there are many others and many are in needs. So donate! (just an advice, don’t send money to Hizballah from the US. It seems they don’t like it)

Helping on the ground is certainly the most effective thing. They need a lot of people and it is easy once there to get in touch with organizations. But many of us, will not be able to do that. Far away, we can still do many things.
1. Donate!
2. Protest. Go to protests you hear about (or organize one), try to let your voice reach those that one day will be willing or forced to hear, so that no one can say “we didn’t know…” Don’t use passive tenses in your slogans. Active tenses are used when we know the “subject”. Say it loud, because you’re not anti-Semite. You are Semite.
3. Think about ways that you can affect the status quo. There are always ways, like this video that can make it further than anyone ever hoped… Think.
4. Forward messages, links, articles. Always use trustful sources. Don’t let anyone take advantage from a small mistake to destroy a so rightful cause. Stay away from racism. Leave this for those weak, for all these Israeli forums that don’t have anything to say except wishing Israel to bomb harder.
5. Talk about it, discuss it, debate it, pass the message. Let everyone know, be reminded what Israel is doing to Lebanon. There is nothing to be ashamed of. At the opposite, you should be ashamed of being silent. They should all know: your friends, your boss, your Jewish (or Israeli) colleague and all the rest that what Israel is doing to Lebanon is terrorism and nothing else. They can be silent, they can choose not to ask you but if they do use the active tense…

I am still looking for one convincing logic that might explain why one would back the Israeli use of force; just one. Maybe the smartest defender today of the Israeli raids (outside Israel), might well be Toni Blair. (You all understood why I didn’t opt for G. Bush). In his speech, to the house of Commons he said “… just imagine 1600 roquettes falling onto Israel… imagine!” I can imagine 5000 F16 missiles falling on Lebanon, I think, I can imagine 1600 roquettes. Now, that I imagined. So what? “Israel has the right to defend itself”. He said. “It all started by Hezballah kidnapping two soldiers and this aggression should be undone.” It is difficult to comment on this, it is too easy. The resistance waited 36 hours before it sent its first roquette into Israel. In 36 hours many things happened in Lebanon. Among many other targets, Israel had already bombed the airport. I was there.

The other logic that both Israeli and American use is that Hezballah is Iran’s representative in the region and both are becoming very strong and a big threat to Israel. The glass was full. There is a UN resolution indirectly supporting these actions. When you ask them why Israel doesn’t give the prisoners and Shebaa farms back to Lebanon and take all the excuses from Hizballah. The answer is always, always, “…but then they will want more. They will not stop.” And when you answer by saying the obvious i.e. why don’t you wait till then to declare your war? Your reply will not hear back except your own echo…

Finally, for those Lebanese that are still betting on a peace treaty with Israel as the solution to our troubles, I want to tell you this story that I witnessed. I took a flight from Paris to JFK a week ago. I had an isle seat. Across the isle, one raw in front of me is sitting am 8 years old boy. He was Lebanese, flying with his mom and two younger sisters. He talked some Arabic but he was more at ease in English. He played a war game for 8 hours (no, this is not my story). I know that, because, he forgot to mute it. As we landed, he started looking from my window and he smiled to me. I smiled back. Suddenly, his face started turning yellow as we were moving slowly on the runway. He whispered two words while pointing out at the window: “An Israeli plane”. I turned at once and saw indeed an Israeli plane parking. He recognized the enemy and got scared! I was stunned that at this stage he knew their flag. Then I thought: how can you not? This, to me, is clear evidence that any hope of peace with Israel based on trust will not come during this boy’s time.

We should recognize this. And, meanwhile, we should be able to count on ourselves to get our rights!