From telegram
Dear subscribers,
I had the pleasure of questioning someone from Lebanon about the recent events in the region, how people there feel about it, etc. While I cannot be 100% sure, I did ask the person to provide evidence of being in Lebanon and confirmed it to a reasonable degree.
PART 1/2
What is your name?
Let us say Rahil.
How far from the Israeli border do you live?
I live in Beirut. So a few Km away.
Since the conflict began, how many rocket strikes have you witnessed or heard? If any, please tell me more about them. Have you seen any victims, for example?
In October/November/December I made frequent visits to South Lebanon and I saw some damages done to Israeli antennas in the Shebba farms. I also saw burnt fields from phosphorus bombs. I no longer go to the South.
If you have witnessed rocket strikes, what have they hit?
No, but I have friends and colleagues who got direct hits. A friend's brother and family near Tyre were wounded when their building was bombed. And there were damages in a warehouse in Saida belonging to a colleague.
Has the intensity of Israel's strikes on Lebanon increased in recent days/weeks? If yes, please tell me more.
Yes it has. There are villages at the boarder that are completely destroyed. There are olive groves that are burned (mostly phosphorus) and planes have been targeting the Bekaa and Hermel.
Do you expect Israel to invade Lebanon?
No, they could try, but they are unable to invade Gaza. And Gaza is smaller, unarmed and has been under supervision and completely closed for 16 years.
Do your friends/family/coworkers expect Israel to invade Lebanon?
Many people think that Israel will try. They are mostly (we all are) afraid of planes and remote bombardments. There is a feeling that Israel has lost all its supremacy. Some people are hoping that Israel will do the mistake and attack. If it is as weak as the Hebrew press is claiming, then it would be a good opportunity to defeat it. The Lebanese are fed up with the constant threat and aggressions. I don't remember a time when jets did not fly over our heads.
What is the atmosphere like among people in Lebanon? Do they talk about it, or do they try to not think about it? If they are, what do they say? Are they confident, worried, scared?
It is the ONLY subject. Even when they go out to have fun, it is in the back of their minds. And all conversations revolve around it. "Are you having family lunch this Sunday? Of course we are, if the situation allows it!" People are confident and scared. Lebanon has been destroyed by Israeli jets many times. We know the cost. But we are fed up. We think this should be the last battle. Win or lose. It all depends on each side's allies too. To be clear, lots of people do not like Hezbollah. But the greatest majority does not trust Israel and the West. The hatred for Israel supersedes opposition to the Hezbollah. Many Lebanese think that Israel is behind the port blast in 2020 that destroyed Beirut.
If a full war breaks out, will you fight? Why? If yes, would you join Hezbollah or another formation?
I am not fit to fight. Gender, age, weight… My contribution is mostly raising awareness. Like now, hoping to tell our side of the story.
How do you see the war in Gaza? What do others in Lebanon think about it?
It is clearly a brutal genocide. Few people in Lebanon are surprised by the brutality of the Israelis. A lot of empathy for the Palestinians.
Do people want the war with Israel, or do they prefer peace?
No one wants war, but the alternative has never been peace. Not in the West Bank, not in Jerusalem, not in Gaza, and not even in Lebanon, Syria, etc. All those times that the American media did not mention Palestine, war was going on. Israel bombed Syria on a weekly basis since 2011.
Do you see the US as a culprit in Israel's war on Gaza? Do others?
The US is seen as the main enabler of the Israeli bold attitude. Israel would have lost all the previous wars if the US was not supporting it. And the rationale behind invading, destroying Syria, boycotting Iran etc., is always seen as a favour for Israel.
Do you think the Near-East would be better off without Israel? If yes, why?
Israel is the exact antithesis of Lebanese and Palestinian mentality: multi-confessional, anti-war, soft power... The area was better off before. There was interaction between all countries. On both sides of my family, we had relatives in Bagdad, Damascus, Lattakia, Cairo, Alexandria, and of course, Jerusalem and Haifa. Since the creation of Israel, and the establishment of rigid boundaries of pseudo nation-states, people have stopped travelling. Geographically, Israel is in the middle between us all. Discontinuity of roads...
Do you think other regional powers such as Iran will come to help Lebanon in case of an Israeli invasion? Please explain why you think that.
Difficult to predict. It depends on many factors. If Israel has the upper hand, if the help is minor, if the US is involved, etc. My feeling is that it will be a sudden and brutal war. But very quick. Both the US and Iran will wait and see, assess and see what level of involvement will bring what outcome.
Anything else you want to say?
Be informed and take a courageous stand. People are dying, families are destroyed, livelihoods are gone.
Israel is the result of Western anti semitism. Palestinians (and Lebanese) have paid a high price.
The only solution is a single state.
What do you mean by a "single state?"
One state with Jews (not Zionists) and Palestinians living together. This was the initial Palestinian request - no partition - in 1948 or before.
I wish to thank Rahil for speaking to me, I am glad to have you on the channel and I hope to do my part in spreading awareness of the conflict and the people caught in it. Best wishes to you and your loved ones!