A. is originally from southern Lebanon, where their family still lives. Speaking with The Jerusalem Post and asking to remain unnamed for safety-related reasons, A. described their hometown as part and parcel of the Lebanese state and its institutions from the country’s early beginnings.
“Some of the villages in the south have stood their ground and opposed infiltration and interference by other parties, especially Hezbollah. Hezbollah’s policy is not Lebanese. It never was and never will be. The villagers are ready to face any difficulties needed to continue living there; they will not give up their land, in which they remained from the time of our ancestors and until now.”
A. described how, in 2006, following the war with Israel, the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces entered the region.
“We thought the situation would improve with resolution 1701, but over time the situation deteriorated, and the dangers of war became daily. We saw with our own eyes Hezbollah’s takeover in the area. We saw how they took over all the state’s institutions, justifying it under the premise of so-called ‘resistance.’ They claimed that they support Lebanon but are in fact operating on Iran’s agendas, alleging that this would ‘free Al-Quds [ed. Jerusalem].’ We have nothing to do with this; we only want to live our life and follow our religion.”
Once again A., highlighted their kin’s resilience and steadfastness in their ancestral home. “We didn’t leave our village, we didn’t allow anyone to place a single weapon among our houses.”
According to A., several non-evacuated villages still dot the border area between Israel and Lebanon. “Those who were evacuated did so in order to save the lives of the people and keep them out of harm’s way,” A. added.
However, in an active war zone, not everyone can remain safe. “Sadly, our village was damaged by the exchange of fire. Hezbollah missiles fell on some of the villages, and the Israeli army’s shelling also delivered some damage. But our people are still steadfast nonetheless.”
Calling on the Red Cross for help
When asked whether basic supplies were still available, A. weighed their words carefully. “There is a humanitarian line operated by the Lebanese army and UNIFIL, and from my understanding, they are attempting to allow the entry of different commodities. However, some items are scarce, and there are those who exploit the situation and bring up the prices.”
However, soon enough A. delved into further details. “Villagers sometimes experience a shortage of bread. There are almost no vegetables to be found, and some rely on their own agricultural farms. There were 15 days on which no food arrived in the area due to the ongoing dangers. There is also a communication problem – no telephone lines are currently working, and the only method of communication is a single network with reception which offers internet.
“We call on the Red Cross to help us and provide the basic needs – bread and mainly vegetables,” A. added. “There’s a local Red Cross branch in Lebanon which goes between the border area and Tyre and Sidon and brings some bread from time to time. But this is not enough – the villagers also need vegetables and other basic needs which cannot be found there.”
When asked about the relations between villages of different creeds, A. stressed that they were solid and friendly for the most part. “Relations with the other villages were fine, from time to time there were differences of opinion, but all were basically friendly to each other. Even the Christians who did not have a political representation in those areas were duly represented by the Shi’a from Hezbollah or Amal.”
In regard to the current war, A. added: “We have been living for 13 months under this war, which they decided to start on October 8. It interrupted all of life’s fabric: social life, the school year, employment. Roads became dangerous. After the pager affair, our people realized that the danger had become even greater, so they decided to stay even closer to home.”
Referring to Israel’s stated goals to fight Hezbollah and not the Lebanese state, A. replied carefully: “Some understand this, and others don’t, and not everyone can talk and say things out loud. Maybe people who were made to believe that Israel is attacking their homes are now seeing the opposite, that Hezbollah became the reason for which they left their homes,” A. explained, stressing: “We did not allow Hezbollah to interfere with us, and we also know that not all Shi’ites are involved in this war.”
‘Why not peace?’
A. continued: “I lived for two decades under Israeli rule, and we all know the history of Lebanon with the Palestinian groups. Unfortunately, the Lebanese state did not want to make peace with Israel, and we paid the price. What is the logic of not having peace? Not everyone says this, but so many other Arabs made peace, maybe even Saudi Arabia. So why not us? Why must the southern borders remain closed with no trade or tourism? When the borders were closed in 2000 we felt the difference. Everything has changed.”
“Those who live here know this,” A. reiterated, adding in a whisper: “What I am saying now is against the law, as my country is in a state of enmity with Israel.”
A. explained that the southern, peripheral region of Lebanon is different from the capital area. “People in the southern region think differently. The capital has an airport and a seaport, they’re connected to the outside world. What do they have in the south? There are no factories, there’s problems with water and electricity.
They can definitely benefit from an open relationship with a developed country like Israel. The people of the south are loyal to our state, they pay their taxes and want the state to provide them with protection. They want to live in peace and security, and build a better future for their children.”
When asked about the current situation with Hezbollah, A. replied: “You can’t say anything to Hezbollah, they have an entirely different culture. They are simply unable to think about normalization with the State of Israel. Sure, there were Shi’is who cooperated with Israel before 2000, and Shi’is who were severely affected from the Fatah presence in southern Lebanon, and even from Hezbollah themselves. As soon as anyone says something against the war, they proceed to accuse them of being ‘Zionists’ and ‘traitors.’
“In the end, it’s a sad situation in which people must pay the price of an agenda that doesn’t build our country. We don’t wish bad on anyone, but when this group chooses their agenda, they must know that they bear responsibility for their actions. They are the ones that put themselves in this danger. I am sad about everything that is war. I want to live in security and peace.
“I want to tell the government of Israel and everyone in Israel: war has never brought a solution. The goal must be that after the war everyone returns to their homes and peace is instilled, that everyone would live in their respective country and peace will prevail.”
The Jerusalem Post asked the Red Cross for a comment.
