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Lebanon’s Precarious Sectarian Balance Tipping Amid Hezbollah-Israeli War
Lebanese Christian worshippers take part in a Palm Sunday procession in Klayaa, southern Lebanon, March 24, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
As the Lebanese Christian village of Rmeish marks its first Easter since the Gaza war erupted, residents say a parallel confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel is dragging them into a conflict they did not choose.
Like many Christians elsewhere in southern Lebanon, residents are angry and fearful their homes could be caught in the cross-fire and their families forced to flee — permanently — from their ancestral villages near the Lebanon-Israel border.
Earlier this week, a Rmeish resident confronted a group of armed men trying to launch rockets at Israel from within the village. Some villagers rang church bells to sound the alarm, and the armed men moved off to fire rockets from another neighborhood, according to mayor Milad al-Alam and Rmeish residents.
“What we’ve been saying for the last six months is: among our own homes, keep us neutral. Any strike in return would have brought huge losses,” Alam told Reuters.
Hezbollah began launching rockets from hilltops and villages in southern Lebanon at Israel on Oct. 8 in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas, which carried out a cross-border attack into Israel the previous day that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The villagers’ resentment reflects criticism from Christian clerics and politicians opposed to Hezbollah, who have long accused the group of undermining the state through its possession of a controversial arsenal that outguns the national army, and of monopolizing decisions of war and peace.
“We have nothing to do with this war. Do they (Hezbollah) want to displace us?” said a 40-year-old resident of Rmeish who asked not to be identified, fearing that criticizing Hezbollah could bring reprisals. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which holds sway over much of the Lebanese state, denied its fighters had tried to launch rockets from Rmeish.
More than a dozen sects coexist in a precarious balancing act in tiny Lebanon, reflected in a power-sharing system that reserves government posts by religion. The presidency and central bank governor – two top posts reserved for Maronite Christians – have been vacant since Oct. 2022 and July 2023 respectively due to divisions over choosing successors.
‘NO SAY’ IN SYSTEM
Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have been displaced both internally and to foreign countries by conflict and hardship over the last century, with the 15-year civil war seeing killings and kidnappings according to sect. Some 90,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon since the conflict broke out in October.
Christian lawmaker Ghada Ayoub, who represents a constituency in the south and hails from the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces party, told Reuters that Christians were standing up to Hezbollah “because it is encroaching on their presence,” and that the war was deepening fissures in Lebanese politics.
“The question is now: are there even any shared points left that we can carry on with – that we can build a state with?” she said.
The area most impacted by the shelling is the border strip, home to about a dozen Christian villages including Rmeish. They are nestled in rolling hills of olive groves, pine trees and tobacco fields — now too dangerous to plant or harvest due to shelling.
“The areas around us were really affected – there have been strikes 500, 600 meters away. Our harvests have been ruined,” said Joseph Salameh, a local official in the town of Klayaa, about four km (2.5 miles) from Lebanon’s southern border.
Lebanon was already hit hard by a financial meltdown that began in 2019. With tourists staying away due to bombing, shops closed and schools shuttered or sheltering thousands displaced by the fighting, villages across the predominantly Shi’ite Muslim south have been dealt another severe economic blow, prompting fears among locals of a Christian exodus.
“Now the war has added to it and is encouraging our children to leave… Christians are no longer able to take on more than others because the problems of this country have become too many,” Salameh said.
Lebanon’s top Christian clerics have also sounded the alarm in weekly sermons. Maronite Patriarch Boutros al-Rai called early on in the Gaza war for Lebanon to stay on the sidelines and more recently said war had been “imposed” on Christians.
MOUNTING OUTCRY
Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut Elias Audi asked earlier this month if it was fair for “one faction of Lebanese to decide on behalf of everyone, and take unilateral decisions that not all Lebanese agree on.”
With outcry mounting, Hezbollah’s main Christian ally the Free Patriotic Movement has even ramped up criticism, saying its nearly two-decade alliance with Hezbollah had been “shaken.”
“The main problem that arose recently was crossing the limits of defending Lebanon and getting involved in a conflict in which we cannot make decisions,” FPM head Gebran Bassil said.
Their alliance had provided Hezbollah with supporters from a religious community outside its traditional base, but the pair have split over several issues in the last two years – including who should be Lebanon’s next president.
Michael Young at the Carnegie Middle East Center said Bassil’s comments were an attempt to gain some leverage over Hezbollah by signalling a rift – but also reflected Christian unease with the status quo.
“The mood among the Christian community is almost a psychological divorce from the system. They don’t feel that they have a say in the system and in a way it’s true — Hezbollah is in control of much of the system,” Young told Reuters.
The post Lebanon’s Precarious Sectarian Balance Tipping Amid Hezbollah-Israeli War first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US States Order Flags at Half-Staff to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivering remarks on major legislation requiring colleges and universities in the state to strengthen hate crime policies. Photo: Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Multiple US states will lower their flags to half-mast during the day on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel.
“The hearts of Iowans go out to the innocent Israeli families and American citizens killed by Hamas,” stated Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, who ordered flags lowered at the state Capitol building and on all public grounds and sites in the state. (She encouraged individuals, businesses, schools and others to do the same.)
“Iran and its terrorist proxies continue to attack, as Israeli forces fight to protect their people against the forces of evil,” Reynolds added. “Iowa stands, as it always has, with Israel.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, ordered flags at state buildings at half-mast and that more than 12 landmarks—including several bridges, Empire State Plaza, Niagara Falls, Moynihan Train Hall and 1 World Trade Center—be lit up in yellow “in solidarity with Israel and the hostages still in captivity.”
“One year after the horrific atrocities committed against the people of Israel, my heart goes out to the victims and their families,” Hochul stated. “New York stands with Israel—today and every day.”
“As the home of the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, we will do everything in our power to defend against the forces of hatred and stand firmly against those who perpetuate it,” Hochul added.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, ordered that the state flag be flown at half-mast throughout Arkansas on Monday.
“Israel is right, and the terrorists are wrong,” she stated. “Arkansas stands with Israel, prays for Israel and supports Israel as they fight to defeat the terrorists and bring the hostages home.”
“This week, Iran launched a missile attack against Israel, emphasizing that this conflict is far from over,” Huckabee Sanders added. “Alongside the ongoing attacks against Israel, there has been a shocking rise in antisemitism and pro-Hamas protests in the United States. These activists deny Israel’s fundamental right to defend itself in this war between good and evil.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, also ordered flags at half-staff on Oct. 7.
“One year after the tragedies of Oct. 7, 2023, we continue to mourn the devastating losses and urge all parties to reach an agreement that immediately returns every hostage and puts an end to the continued suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza and throughout the region,” Murphy stated.
“Our hearts go out to the families that have been shattered by the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 and the humanitarian suffering that followed, and we continue to pray for a swift end to the war and restoration of peace across the region,” he added.
“In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, I invite all Montanans to join me in remembering the innocent victims who were brutally murdered or injured during acts of war committed by Hamas and for the seven Americans still held hostage,” Gianforte stated.
“The State of Montana continues to stand with Israel and the Jewish people as they continue to face unspeakable persecution, hatred and terrorism,” he added.
The post US States Order Flags at Half-Staff to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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IDF’s Ground Op in Lebanon Aims to Prevent Oct. 7-Style Atrocity
Mourners carry a coffin during the funeral of Wissam Tawil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces who according to Lebanese security sources was killed during an Israeli strike on south Lebanon, in Khirbet Selm, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Aziz Taher
JNS.org – The Israel Defense Forces’ ground maneuver in southern Lebanon, launched last week, is focused on dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure within a few kilometers from the Israeli border. Put differently, the goal is removing the Iranian-backed terror army’s ability to conduct an Oct. 7-style mass murder attack in northern Israel.
The operation is specifically targeting Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, which has been responsible for ongoing threats to Israeli civilian communities in northern Israel. The Radwan Force’s Galilee invasion plan served as the blueprint for the Hamas Nukhba death squads which led the Oct. 7 attack on the western Negev.
The IDF confirmed on Tuesday that IDF special forces had been acting against Hezbollah compounds in southern Lebanon “since the beginning of the war” in dozens of targeted border operations.
The covert operations targeted the staging areas of three Radwan battalions, including underground and weapons storage facilities. They uncovered tunnels that were 20 to 25 meters deep, some of which entered a mountain and reached nearby villages such as Ayta Al-Shab, Lafr Kila and Miss Al-Jabael.
According to a report by Army Radio, the IDF has, during those earlier raids, destroyed some 30 tons of explosives and anti-tank warheads, a staggering 450 RPGs, hundreds of personal firearms, hundreds of thousands of bullets, dozens of Kornet and other anti-tank missiles, many made in Iran, and 120 different types of missiles.
Over 1,000 intelligence documents were recovered, in addition to aerial photographs, maps and night-vision equipment.
IDF officials confirmed in recent days that the current operation, carried out under the auspices of its Northern Command, involves localized raids. Participating units include the Golani Brigade, the 188th Armored Brigade and the 6th Infantry Brigade, among other forces. On Wednesday, the 36th Division, including soldiers of the Golani Brigade, 188th Armored Brigade, 6th Infantry Brigade and additional forces joined the operation, signifying an expansion of the maneuver.
Since the conflict began, Hezbollah has fired over 10,000 rockets and missiles into Israel, in an effort to force Israel into a two-front conflict and ease the pressure on Hamas in Gaza, an Iranian ally.
The IDF’s current operations, which come after a series of massive airstrikes took much of Hezbollah’s arsenal offline, are aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah’s cross-border threat, and the massive quantities of advanced weaponry and underground facilities so far uncovered are testament to the terror group’s genocidal intent. These capabilities were amassed in blatant violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, under the nose of the hapless United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
One of the key objectives of this operation is to ensure that the Radwan Force, a specialized formation trained for cross-border incursions into Israel, cannot carry out a mass murder attack—a key condition for the safe return home of the 60,000 Israelis displaced from northern Israel.
An Israeli security official stated on Tuesday that the latest operations were conducted in order to dismantle the military capabilities of the Radwan Force and prevent it from carrying out its plan to invade northern Israel.
He also detailed the projectile threat posed by Hezbollah, which has stored weapons, such as surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles and missiles with 1,000 kilogram (2,200 pound) warheads throughout Lebanon.
IDF troops have already encountered and destroyed extensive underground networks in the targeted areas, including tunnels, weapons caches and command centers. The IDF confirmed that “soldiers identified and breached underground access points near the border area, exposed extensive weapon caches, assembly areas for terrorist operative operations, and more.”
The displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes “is a reality we cannot accept, and we will not accept, and no other country in the world would accept it,” the military official emphasized. “For many years, Hezbollah has built up a military stronghold in southern Lebanon […] just meters away from civilian communities in northern Israel,” he added.
“We are essentially focusing on three elements. One is removing immediate threats […] The second thing is, we are targeting those senior terrorists planning terror attacks against Israelis […] The third thing we’re doing is making sure that we create a reality where residents can return to northern Israel.”
In an effort to minimize collateral damage, the IDF has issued warnings to Lebanese civilians in areas where Hezbollah is operating, urging them to evacuate.
Such warnings have been issued with regard to “areas where Hezbollah is operating, is firing at Israel or storing munitions,” he added.
While the IDF has emphasized that these are targeted operations, the situation remains fluid and could change.
Senior defense officials have reiterated that the aim is to neutralize the immediate threat posed by Hezbollah’s military presence near the border, but that if the fire on Israel continues the IDF may need to expand its operations.
For now, however, the IDF is limiting the scope of the operation. “This is a limited, localized target raid on areas near the border to remove threats and to deal with Hezbollah strongholds,” Maj. David Baruch, an IDF spokesperson, stated on Tuesday.
The IDF’s actions are being closely coordinated with Israel’s political leadership, and future operations will depend on ongoing assessments of Hezbollah’s activities.
The IDF Northern Command continues to maintain a high state of readiness as the situation develops.
The post IDF’s Ground Op in Lebanon Aims to Prevent Oct. 7-Style Atrocity first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Anti-Israel Protester Sets Himself on Fire Outside White House
White House south side and gardens. Photo: Zach Rudisin/Wikimedia.
JNS.org – A man attempted to self-immolate, lighting his left arm on fire outside the White House on Saturday during an anti-Israel protest.
The man, who identified himself as a journalist, was seen in video taken at the scene holding his arm in the air, engulfed in flames. Several members of the crowd tossed water on his arm and tried to put the flames out with towels, as the man screamed.
The sleeve of his shirt appeared to be burned off, with burn marks visible on his left arm in the video.
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officers restrained the man, and rescue services transported him to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to police.
The man reportedly screamed at one point that “we spread the misinformation,” and later that “I’m a journalist, and I said it was OK.”
The man’s identity has not yet been confirmed publicly. An Arizona man with a similar photo has social media pages loaded with content on the Israel-Hamas war and posted that he would be at the White House protest on Saturday to give a speech. That individual also identifies as a journalist.
The incident took place at about 5:45 p.m. along the 800 block of 16th Street, close to the White House, where activists—some supporting Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre—gathered in protest ahead of the one-year anniversary of the attack.
The man on Saturday became the third known to have lit himself on fire, purportedly in protest of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old U.S. Air Force serviceman, died of his wounds following his actions outside the Israeli embassy in Washington in late February.
Last month, a man identified in news reports as 45-year-old Matt Nelson died four days after lighting himself on fire across the street from the Israeli consulate in Boston.
The post Anti-Israel Protester Sets Himself on Fire Outside White House first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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