An Act That Is Worth 1.5 Billion Words
While Israel and Hezbollah are destroying Lebanon and Iran and Syria are claiming to stand by their Lebanese allies in words and venomous threats, Saudi Arabia showed its true friendship and love and sent us $1.5 billion.
This makes Saudi Arabia 1.5 billion times more important to Lebanon than any member of the axis-of-evil. This makes Syria and Iran 1.5 billion times more crimal and cowardly than they actually are. This makes Hassan Nasrallah look 1.5 billion times more petty. This makes all the pro-Syrian politicians 1.5 billion times less patriotic than they ever were. This is an act of solidarity in the face of Israeli rage that is 1.5 billion times more powerful than any Arab League meeting.
Thank you to the people and government of Saudi Arabia for standing by us.
This makes Saudi Arabia 1.5 billion times more important to Lebanon than any member of the axis-of-evil. This makes Syria and Iran 1.5 billion times more crimal and cowardly than they actually are. This makes Hassan Nasrallah look 1.5 billion times more petty. This makes all the pro-Syrian politicians 1.5 billion times less patriotic than they ever were. This is an act of solidarity in the face of Israeli rage that is 1.5 billion times more powerful than any Arab League meeting.
Thank you to the people and government of Saudi Arabia for standing by us.
posted by zadigvoltaire at 9:18 PM
28 Comments:
You forgot:
1. USA - 30 million $
2.EU - 10 million Euro
or this does not count?
at the end of the day - Lebanon will be a reach country...
Alf Mabruk - Mazal Tov - Now get rid of the terrorists and live your life.....
so maybe the pessimism expressed in your last post was not so warranted after all? there is something called self-fulfilling prophecies: when you believe that your country won't ever be great again, and when you act accordingly (e.g. emigrating), your prophecy becomes true.
Be optimistic... Lebanon will rise again if those who love lebanon (icluding non-lebanese) do not give up on it.
What a money grubbing little beggar trolls you Lebanese are.
hehe, you like your BS, don't you? if you work the way you talk I doubt you find any job.
But we will see if you get any of these money which have been promised. I guess they are happy to just destroy you and then rebuild something new.
Time will show who will build your country again!
Maybe thats what you are waiting for. For all people to die in Lebanon and then you can go back and claim the money.
After all, maybe Israel is not so wrong in doing what she is doing
All this big talk from anon windbags and so little to say:
Time will show who will build your country again!
At least we know who is detroying it blindly, and who are turning blind eyes.
After all, maybe Israel is not so wrong in doing what she is doing Not SO wrong? Careful, you just admitted that Israel is in the wrong.
And concerning aid for Lebanon, might I point out that Israel is the master of all charity hand-outs, receiving $3 billion a year from the US, not even counting state-backed loans.
Where would this shiny happy modern state be wihtout the hand-outs? Gosh, it might have to even work for a living!
Dear Zadigvoltaire,
I am writing from the BBC World Service and became very interested in your blog. I work for a religious programme called Reporting Religion. We are looking for a Maronite in Lebanon to comment on how the community as a whole is reacting to the situation and what are the thoughts about the future? Will this war change community relations for the better or is there a fear of civil war? Would you be able to recommend a Maronite to talk about this on our programme? In any case it would be great to talk to you. Please let me know how I can reach you. My email is talya.ezrahi@bbc.co.uk
Many thanks. Talya
As an European, I am ashamed on how LITTLE we gave.
My country is not a rich one, but for the Eurocup 2004 we wasted 5 times that on building 1 football stadium — and we built ou profoundly rebuilt 10 of them!
About Saudi Arabia support: that's a good thing (even if it has a catch) — but will affect nothing with people like the Katiusha guy who posted in this blog earlier. For him the people provinding the weapons and doing the killing are the real helpers...
Why did the Lebanese Prime Minister offer protection to Hezbollah back in January, as can be seen from the following paragraphs in Naharnet.
The policy statement is very clear regarding the protection of the resistance," said Saniora in an interview with the Lebanese daily.(In january)
The prime minister said the terms used in the statement were enough to reassure Hizbullah that the government would protect its military wing despite U.N. Resolution 1559, which calls on Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to disarm.
Oh why, oh why, has saniora offered to protect Hezbollah? Oh why, oh why, must Israel sit quietly when Hezbollah fires their missiles from the city streets of Lebanon?
If Israel is forbidden to strike back at Hezbollah for fear of hitting the civilians that Hezbollah has intentionally nestled themselves next to, then Israel might as well say goodbye to their own country - for this is the terrorist way, to blend in with the civilian population and fire their weapons from the civilian populated areas.
But why has your Prime Minister in the past offered to protect Hezbollah?..... And why must Israel be punished for Saniora's accessory to Hezbollah's crimes? For Saniora has offered shelter to those that are attacking Israel.Oh Why? Oh why, has he done so?
Hi Zadig,
first of all I want to wish you and your family all the best for the future. I have been reading your block since the war started.
Do you know, what Saudi-Arabia is saying about Hezbollah? The foreign minister:
"If the unilateral decision by a single country is unacceptable then what about an undisciplined and irresponsible single element inside a country taking decisions which not only involves that country alone but pushes the remaining countries as well into a blind adventure? It is totally unacceptable and this matter should be unambiguously clear to all,” he said."
and
“We need to make rapid moves to put an end to the Israeli aggression in Lebanon and Palestine and make a call for the language of dialogue to prevail and an end to the violence,” he said.
Also I am very interested what you think about this here:
http://dailyscorecard.blogspot.com/2006/07/lebanese-christian-alternative-views.html
Kind Regards
sorry, I have forgotten the link for the Saudi statements:
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=85446&d=16&m=7&y=2006
Tom, the answer was to be found a few lines further in the same article:
"Why to insist to raise the issue of the resistance's arms when no one is asking us about it and while we have obtained an approval from the international community to discuss this issue through dialogue" among the Lebanese, Saniora said.
The English is poor, but the reason is clear. Saniora was trying to engage Hezbollah on a diplomatic level. It would have made sense, for example, for Hezbollah's military side to be incorporated into the standing army while the political branch was gradually absorbed into normal political life (even though you could hardly expect them to become Israel's friends - that's the price you pay for waging war and occupying countries). Every country in the world has some radicals in parliament. And you can't expect a situation as extreme as the years that led to the Lebanese spring to lead to normal democracy overnight.
Unfortunately, both Hezbollah and Slobodan Olmert had plans up their sleeves: one to disrupt normal relations in the Middle East and the other to demolish another neighbour economically. The bad news for Lebanon and the Middle East as a whole is that one plan fed the other.
Look you moron. No one gives a damn about Lebanon. The people there - except for the children under fice - got and are getting exactly what they deserve. You all knew what Hezballock was doing. You supported them. You took from them. You voted for a government that allowed these murdering pigs to exist on your southern border. No one will help you. You are doomed to suffer for the evil you push on the earth!
you guys can argue who's right or wrong from here to eternity, it still will not solve the problem! BOMBING innocents on both sides will not solve it either. Two wrongs do not make a right. I am disgusted at the double standards of the western world! They hide behind diplomatic comments while innocents die on both sides (mostly lebanese). Its this double standard that makes the world a more dangerous place today!
@anonymus 17:51
you guys can argue who's right or wrong from here to eternity, it still will not solve the problem!
So, what is your proposal?
What I find disgusting is people using a conflict to denounce other people.
anon 16:49: which one of us morons are you referring to? ;-)
I think it's patently clear from around the world that a great number of people care about what is happening to the Lebanon, any decent person would. This blog alone welcomes an impressive number of non-Israelis and non-Lebanese. Another small voice is added to the concern: RTE. Incidentally, it was an Irish officer that informed the Israeli command that they were bombing an unarmed UN observation 10 times. So maybe they know a little about what they're talking about, stuck on the border between Israel and Lebanon for the past few years.
However, you do have a point. As long as radical peace activists such as the Bush administration have Tony Blair in tow, nothing will move forward and Israel will have another few weeks to demolish Lebanon. I hope it makes you feel big or something, as I don't see many long-term goals invloved.
Although neither you nor I can talk in the name of a nation, I note the tone of your intervention: "[the Lebanese] are getting exactly what they deserve". Ah, you see it as punishment therefore, not a military operation. Quick question: why was Hezbollah created? Answer: to resist Israeli occupation. Oh, so that means more Israeli agression could lead to other Hezbollahs? Likely, particularly if no-one stands up for them.
If money could help end the war, it would not have started in the first place. I am not belittling Saudia for its help in the form of money. But you must also know that non-Muslim nations have also given and are yet giving you help. Does that make them our friends. No, of course not!!
We need to look at the historical aspects of things. Israel was not created because the West didnt have space in Europe for the Jews, but because it wanted its hegemony over the region.
Israel was and is very much enjoying a "great-power status". It is free to bombard who ever it wants and whenever it want. Saudi, or for that matter's sake no ones money can keep Israel from doing what it is doing now.
The Quran and Ahadees are full of writings that say that they will continue to punish you for being Muslims.
So the only way you can save yourself is to leave Islam or face the jews like brave Muslims.
"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons (and Daughters) of God."
"Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
"Blessed are You when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account."
"Blessed are those who Mourn, for they shall be comforted."
"LOVE ONE ANOTHER!"
-- Jesus' words 2,000 years ago continue to have meaning today.
I'm an Israeli. I find your blog interesting. It's always encouraging to know there are sane people on the other side.
Shall we link to one another's blog? mine is http://leloshem.blogspot.com. I already posted an entry about your blog a couple of days ago.
May peace come soon.
To all those who cried, "Why oh why didn't Lebanon disarm Hezbollah?': I think you now have your answer. After ten days of the cruellest bombing by sea and air, the Israeli land army is grinding to a halt already.
Please explain how a fledgling Lebanese army with no airpower could possibly achieve disarment? Let's be honest: it was impossible by force.
And meanwhile the punishment of the Lebanese people - the majority of whom did not vote for Hezbollah - continues, while Ms Rice is wondering what songs to play at the Asean conference. Is there not something grotesque in this? We have US precision missiles killing unarmed UN observers, babies dying in Gaza, up to 1 million refugees in Israel, Haifa - once a model of integration - being hit by missiles, a country completely demolished, a whole new generation brought up on the horrors of war, the Israeli reputation in absolute tatters.
Tell me that all this was worth it. All this for a border squabble that could have been negotiated as previous ones had been before.
You see, Islam cannot blissfully thrive without red hot blood—the human blood. As a car cannot run without petrol, so is Islam. The fuel that propels Islam is blood. When infidels’ blood is difficult to shed, Islam spills its own blood. Blood is the life-line of Islam, violence its hallmark, hate its foundation. Therefore, when needed, Islam must cannibalize itself, just to run its own course, set by Muhammad, the last Prophet.
This cannibalism is nothing new in Islam. Islamic history is profusely replete with many such savage anecdotes of cannibalization.
During the last few decades we have witnessed much such Islamic cannibalism. The most recent event was the Iran-Iraq war, in which millions of Muslims were killed, not by the infidels (kafirs) but by Muslims. Undoubtedly, in not-too-distant a future, we are bound to witness many such events of Islamic cannibalism.
Here, I shall illustrate a few such cases of Islamic cannibalism as was perpetrated during the nascent stages of Islam, and ponder if we could learn few a few lessons from those gruesome episodes.
The earliest example of Islamic cannibalism, strangely, is found in the Holy Qur’an, in verses 9:108-110! These verses refer to the gutting of a rival mosque on the instruction of none but Muhammad (pbuh) when he was returning after his expedition to Tabuk, a resorceful town in the Syrian-Byzantine territory.
Sane people don't want to see or be a part of the destruction of a country or the killing of innocent people. That being said, it has been 'ok' with the world when thousands of innocent Israelis have been murdered and blown to bits by cowardly 'terrorists' who hide among women and children. Israel had had enough. The blah-blah about "occupation" is just a concept created by Israel's enemies to promote a lie. Israel was given a tiny portion of land in the Middle East as it's home and haven. Not content with that, it's Arab enemies sought to eliminate even that and so with *their* aggression, lost land that was previously theirs. Israel, over the years, had agreed to give it back to the point of endangering it's own population and received for it's "land for peace" closer launching pads for it's enemies to attack it's people. Enough was enough!
Lebanon will rise again with money and aid from all over the World. Even Israel will help restore your Country. Saudi Arabia could do a lot more good by helping to eradicate Hezbollah and Hamas; which it won't do because it also supports the ultimate destruction of Israel.
Anon: 13:57, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or not at your analysis. Islam=cannabalism and violence. Hmm, let's see. So the Crusades were Islamic invasions, were they? The Inquisition was an Islamic invention? The persecution at different times of Jews, Catholics and Pilgrims were Islamic. The so-called Holy Wars. Plus good peace-loving folk like Napoleon Bonaparte and Alexander the Great. The Conquistadores in South America. Oh and of course, World Wars I and II were Islamic ideas, as was the Holocaust. Not forgetting the murder and mayhem of the Balkan crises just a few years back. Keep on reading those history books, Anon. And tell us when you get to page 3.
Anon 14:52. I understand your rhetoric. Israel is not the most enjoyable place to live. But let's not forget the actual incidents that preceeded this escalation: Israeli reprisals in Gaza. Such as power plants being knocked out, crops being driven over by tanks, roads being cut. In other words, the systematic punishment and destruction of civilians. This always explodes in your face sooner or later. It has never been OK to kill thousands of Israelis. But I've never seen anyone seriously invade Israel. Not even now. It might not look like it when you're under the risk of missiles every night, but I think Israel has gotten away with an awful lot of crimes over the years (witness the number of UN resolutions brushed under the carpet). People "tut-tut" Israel but like now they gloablly turn a blind eye, except for those that are under the boot of the Israeli military.
Terrorism is the last resort of the desperate. It's not an ideology like Communism (or even Zionism). And my feeling is that there is going to be an awful lot more of it if we continue like this.
I am sorry to have to post as Annon, but I feel it necessary to make a comment here.
First, to the Author of this blog, God bless you and your family. As a big, fat American, I cannot (as most of my countrymen who've never served in the military) relate to your plight in the fullest sense of the situation. I am here in Texas, cool and well fed, with no bombs falling on my head, watching the situation unfold, and I am appalled at what has come to pass.
Of course, what most of the Americans commenting here do not understand is how the Lebanese could allow what even THEY know is a terrorist organization to infiltrate their government and set up a state within a state, complete with separate military force, that dares to start wars on behalf of the Lebanese people. Why was this organization allowed to thrive among your people, when even the people knew they were savages who could, and evidently would start a conflageration that would consume Lebanon?? How could you allow that?
As much as we feel for the Lebanese people in the crossfire, to me, if you "rent" part of your house or compound to a rogue army to store their munitions, then you are no longer a "victim" of them. You become a collaborator, and the problem with all the whining about "civillian" casualties is that the savages in your midst do not discrimminate between civillians and themselves, because they ARE civillians. They wear no uniforms, and answer to no official "State."
As to all that blah, blah, blah about the Israelis occupation, I say....WHAT occupation? Israel does not occupy a square inch of Lebanese land and hasn't for quite some time. As for the "disproportionate" response? Please...the aim of war is to incapacitate the enemy, period. Why do innocents allow themselves to be used as shields? In my mind, if they allow themselves to be martyrs, then martyrs they shall be, because they don't have the intestinal fortitude to say no, and if they're going to die anyway, why not die saying I won't contribute to this?? Why not take out the terrorist positions if they're going to kill you anyway? Why allow your country to suffer war that doesn't need to be happening if the Lebanese who really don't want to live beneath the yoke of Hizb'Allah just rise up??? Or contact the Israeli intelligence service with information to take out the terrorists? These days, you cand send a friggin email to them!! How annonymous is that? If you can't beat the terrorists on your own land, at least help the people who can!!
Another poster in another thread asked where is the Lebanese backbone and I ask again. Where is it?? If the Lebanese government weren't secretly (read out of the public eye) supporting the terrorists, they could join with Israel in wiping these people off the face of the Earth by catching them in a pincer move...i.e., the Lebanese Army on the top and the Israelis on the bottom and the Hizb'allah pigs in between! This is Lebanon's golden opportunity to wipe them out, unless, of course, the Lebanese really do support terrorism, as long as it's only directed at the hated Israelis....? Of course, up until this particular war, the Israelis military hands were usually tied by the UN and the Americans, as well as pressure from the rest of the Arab world, who secretly supported these terrorists as long as they weren't aiming their filty weapons at their immediate neighbors, right? This time it's different, and most of the Arab world has thrown Hizb'allah under a political bus because Iran is actually more of a threat to their (the rest of the Arab league) existance than the Israelis. Iranians are NOT Arabs, and the Saudis, Jordanians, and Egyptians are scared. So, the Lebanese terrorists are alone in their arrogance and stupidity.
I guess my point here is that Americans would not allow this to have happened in the first place, but when the opportunity presents itself, why not take advantage of the dirty work the Israelis are doing for the Lebanese government and COOPERATE with the Israelis to rid your country once and for all of the terrorists?? After all, there would and will be an ocean of money to reconstruct Lebanon once this is over, so why not reconstruct a country without Hizb'allah??
Duchess Of Austin
Dear Duchess, I'm shocked!
The question is how the hell could a fledgling state rid itself of the army that earned its independence? Knowing that its military might is greater than the state's own standing army. Tell me, how could they do it? Should it go into a civil war (a second one) for the sake of the country that invaded it, still holds parts of the land (a tiny part that could be negotiated one way or the other) and steadfastly refuses to comply to 27 UN resolutions? Would the US have done that for the Brits after they left in the 18th century? Would Europe have turned against the US army after it helped liberate large parts of western Europe?
If you read some of the archives of this very blog, you will see that many Lebanese were extremely uncomfortable to say the least with having the Hizbollah camped in their garden. But they had just been through Israeli occupation, a civil war, occupation by Syria, major upheaval and assassinations during the Lebanese spring, etc. All this was up until a year ago. So the comments about the Lebanese welcoming or even accepting the Hezbollah are naive to the extreme. There is only so much you can do at a time.
Also, bear in mind that the two most meaningless words in use today are terrorism/terrorist and democracy. When I hear them being bandied about, I get the impression we're back in the 19th century when numerous atrocities were visited on large parts of Africa in the name of "civilisation" and "Christianity".
It's also worth noting that America itself DID allow this to happen as it was a party to the resolution that we can now see was totally unrealistic. Of course, it's easier to see that now in hindsight.
Outsider:
Just how a fledgling State can assume control of said state, especially in these circumstances, in my mind, is a very simple solution.
If I were President of Lebanon, or whoever it is that has the most political power (assuming, of course, that it's someone who doesn't support Hezb'allah either openly or privately, which may be assuming too much), I would contact the Israelis and offer whatever military intelligence I have on the terrorist positions, where their rockets are hidden, and then I would work with them to mobilize what Army there is to work with the Israeli army in a pincer move, i.e., the Lebanese army would be on top, the Israelis on the bottom and the Hezzies in the middle, with nowhere to go. I 'magine the writings of the great Roman generals aren't on the required Hezb'allah reading list, so they won't know what hit 'em.
I don't think anybody who reads this or any other blog thinks has a problem with Hezb'allah being a political party that does good for it's constituents. The problem is the radical, militant army within a state, and a credible state cannot allow such a thing to happen. Imagine if the North had left a radical southern army intact in Alabama after the Civil War, whose elites were also a political party. Can you imagine how many more civil wars would need to be fought in the future because of that? The idea in war (and believe you me, the Islamic Radicals are at WAR) is to incapacitate your enemy so completely that their will to fight is gone, hence Sherman's march to the sea.
All I see on this blog is whiny, scared apologists, anti-semites and peaceniks who advance ideas that have been tried and tried and tried again to no avail, as in your reference to UN 1559, which was, as you so rightly point out, totally unrealistic. They were negotiating with people who were negotiating in bad faith, which is why we can't negotiate with them anymore. The only answer is violence, which seems to be the only thing they understand. Granted, it's a pity, but that's the way it is. Surrender or die. Isn't that their mantra?
Dear Lebanese!
Please pay attention to the current condition of the Palestinian Autonomy: employment lack (80% unemployed), poverty. All that is not due to any embarrasments from the side of Israel. As long as many years Israel had provided a part of its income for Palestine’s development. The Palestinian government had spended all that money for terrorism. And here’s the result. The same things expect You owing to Hezbollah. Hezbollah headed by Nasrallah is able to destroy only, like Yasser Arafat at his time. Despite the fact that the Palestinian Authority is tryng to build its own economy today, they don’t succeed. This will take a long time. So, wherefore You’d allow Hezbollah destroying what You have?
Israel is indeed a very small country, but for some reason people live well here. Didn’t You think about, why is it so? Maybe it’s because they have no time to think of other nations, of destruction those living alongside. They are living in this country for the sake of the country and for its prosperity, for well-being of each person. And maybe, it is all thanks to love, but definitly not owing to hatred.
Perhaps the words that You have read just now, would help somebody to see a different picture.
I liked this post.
thank you.
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