The Lebanese political crisis is due to take a new turn on Tuesday when the country will be hit by a one-day general strike called by the opposition Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah whose supporters have been besieging the government headquarters since last month. Nasrallah says that if this doesn’t force the coalition government of Fouad Siniora to quit, more disruptive action will be taken. On Thursday the French will host another donor conference to agree further aid to the Lebanon to rebuild its infrastructure shattered by Israeli warplanes last summer. Nasrallah has been deeply critical of this exercise that he says is a Washington ploy to support the pro-Western Siniora government. The Siniora administration, says Nasrallah, has no legitimacy since he withdrew along with five other Hezbollah ministers in November. He is demanding fresh elections.
In normal times it would be perfectly sensible for President Emile Lahoud to dissolve what remains of the coalition government and seek a fresh vote. But these are not normal times. It is anyway hard to see what a general election would achieve. Lebanon’s different factions would each return just about the same number of legislators and another all-party coalition government would have to be formed. If Hezbollah would once more refuse to take its share of the government, it is hard to see how the situation then would be any different from what it is now.
This confrontation is of course not simply about Lebanon. Because Europe and Washington back the broadly anti-Syrian Siniora-led coalition, Syria and its ally Iran back the broadly anti-Western Hezbollah, whose status has been elevated by its successful defense against Israel’s latest invasion. Once again Lebanon, ravaged by 15 years of civil war is being subjected to foreign interference, which has underpinned its tragic recent history.
What about Lebanese of all political opinions, sticking up for Lebanon for a change? It is easy to condemn Nasrallah and Hezbollah for pursuing an agenda that is inherently contrary to Lebanese interests, but other factions also carry blame. There were those who hoped that the Israeli Army would utterly destroy Hezbollah and rid the country of an increasingly high and mighty militia over which the government had no control. Most middle class Lebanese of all backgrounds just want peace and stability so they can get on with the business of business at which they excel and which once made Beirut the financial hub of the Arab world. The West, rather than Iran and Syria are the most profitable commercial areas, so there is a built-in Western bias.
Unfortunately within this politically and commercially driven polarization, there is no obvious pro-Lebanese position. It’s high time there was. What is notable about the present crisis is that it has not turned violent. All remember the civil war between 1975 and 1990. It only ended when all sides recognized they simply had to work together. That remains the stark reality. The Lebanese must talk to, not threaten each other.
