Lebanon ... back to Israel, the face of Syria

07/10/2016
Jackie Khoury Luxury villas overlooking the hills on the other side of the border fence with Lebanon, gives the impression that he were not here too the war, and certainly not in recent years. Along the road from Kibbutz Avivim north you can look at the idyllic landscape that surrounds the area. Calm that comes after the storm. «Everything built from new and no life», a man Lebanon Army South who accompanied the tour along the northern border, he says, and hastens to explain where disappeared ruins of war on them to: «the big houses that you see in the neighboring border villages are money from abroad - from Gulf countries or from elsewhere. » But the tranquility and reconstruction in the southern entrance of Lebanon does not tell the story, but part of this state, a decade after the last war in the region. In practice, to say that he was a war here «last» somewhat misleading. On the other side of the border, this is only a violent separation and dripping in the history of the divided and torn state. As the quiet is not really quiet, but this time do not instill in Beirut arrows toward Israel. «Several forums in Lebanon believes that within the framework of the quiet understandings between Israel and Hezbollah will not be another face in the foreseeable future», he says for «Haaretz» GS, energetic politician in Lebanon oppose Hezbollah. «After the start of the war in Syria and direct intervention of Hezbollah there, the confrontation scenario on the pattern of 2006 defeat more and more». Yes, stained with blood, the civil war in Syria, which dragged them without his will the population in Lebanon is also a concern to northern neighbor these days. Square the current confrontation, which make it difficult for citizens to hope for right and Hakiq that they will succeed in rebuilding their lives. And in particular at the end of the Second Lebanon War, the residents are good reasons for optimism. It was no doubt a tremendous damage - South Valdahih from Beirut, and very similar with Hezbollah, was completely destroyed, and a photo was similar in the area of ​​southern Lebanon, in dozens of villages and towns Shiite. The figures made it's harder and harder. More than 1,200 people, including hundreds of Hezbollah fighters, thousands wounded, more than a million people fled their homes and about one hundred thousand of them left Lebanon itself; the economic damage was estimated at $ 2.8 billion. Not less; and it was also a tremendous damage in the vicinity of sea and land, among other things due to cluster munitions. But with the end of the battles of the population got a hope. «In the Lebanese and Arab public awareness, the Hezbollah in general and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in particular, they considered like someone who had made a strategic and political victory in an impressive», says K., a journalist living in Beirut. «Guerrilla organization that has stood for the month against the strongest army in the Middle East.» Two years later, with the release Samir Kuntar from an Israeli prison, he became Hezbollah's name synonymous with success. In parallel, the Lebanese army, which set up positions along the border began to help the civilian population while hired Hezbollah to Iran for the purpose of rebuilding the stock of the weapon. And still remaining a central issue not find resolved: the broad mass. For the infrastructure the government acted quickly to rebuild its airport in Beirut and communication networks. But for the Shiite population, is very identical with Hezbollah and who have suffered the most suffering of the war, it left the financing of many. There was no solution to the hundreds of thousands who remained homeless. «FAO and the Lebanese government understood at the time that is impossible for the possibility of the cost of reconstruction», told «Haaretz» A, a Lebanese journalist close to Hezbollah. Thus, he says, he began Baltjend of public money. In addition to local organizations, it was here to Iran also foothold, where the money transferred in favor of compensation for those who lost their homes in the war. He recalls a, he says: «I remember they had paid about 10,000 dollars per family, and this is a tremendous amount of Lebanese account gave air to the people who were in real distress». But with all due respect to Tehran, it is decided the basic tone in the reconstruction process was rich Arab nations, as a federation UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars. Qatari government and an end donated more than $ 300 million and took on the responsibility of reconstruction of houses in the town of 30 affected more than others. He says for «Haaretz» Haj Yousif residents of Khiam in southern Lebanon that «for the fact we can say that the absolute majority of houses reconstructed. Those who decided to take the money and leave the place he alone remained of his ruin. This is weighing on infrastructure. » In practice, the number of refugees who crossed the border into Lebanon, an estimated one million. They completely Chochoa the labor market in the state. When he was a Syrian worker gets a wage of around 40 percent less than his Lebanese counterpart, there has been an extreme rise in unemployment among the local population. Foreigner hang in the streets of Beirut will not feel the crisis immediately. The city whole, different their neighborhoods, completely rebuilt since the war a decade ago. The tourists are also returned. Practically Tourism is today the economic foundation of the marina Lebanon. It is true for the month of May was the last hotel occupancy in the Lebanese capital of 66 percent. You can look forward to more, but the aliens come. Yet still the Syrian threat and requirements waving in the air. A tangible example of it came last November with more than 40 people were killed in a double bombing by Daash in Beirut. Thus, almost all the roads to the future of Lebanon lead to Damascus. He adds Alhaji Yusuf says that «the fact that there are quite a few young men who went to war in Syria contributes to the tension. Today, in southern Lebanon, look to the east and north in the direction of Syria and worried less from the border with Israel ». And next to the border, on the road to the north, a man of the South Lebanon Army earlier to wonder exactly where the wind is blowing, and it is in only one direction. New Construction was widespread on the hills, which required an investment financially quite a few is «a message saying that we are now heading towards a period of calm, hoping to be long as much as possible», he says. And told me someone I know on the other side of the wall, and recently that and I talked to him «people to fend for: There are young people left heading to Beirut or emigrated abroad, there are many people who work in state institutions, including the Security Service and there are still Ertzqon here of agriculture, particularly tobacco ». According to him, all the green lands that surround the region is the leaf tobacco, the state purchased from farmers. He says that «people are not rich and not all developed yet. But we can say that after a decade there is quiet in south Lebanon. Is this because of the understanding or because of deterrence? Juaben that can be correct. » In any case, it does not also doubted today that he is clear to everyone that the real owner of sovereignty in southern Lebanon is Hezbollah, and all that remains is to «wait to see where the war lead in Syria does will change eventually things in Lebanon.»

LINK:
https://www.albawaba.com/ar/أخبار/لبنان…-الظهر-لاسرائيل،-الوجه-لسوريا-860276