Outside The Flock

Chibli Mallat, A Lebanese Presidential candidate who has ties to the March 14 anti-Syria movement, wrote a piece in the New York Times that can be considered a break-through.


He describes this war as one between the Lebanese Shias and Israel and he seems to have a tacit approval of what Israel is doing “against Hezbollah.” The most important part of his piece however is his critique of the Lebanese political class’ discourse:

I do not find it healthy to carry on with a dual language, which is deafening in most Lebanese political circles — wishing wholeheartedly for Hezbollah’s military defeat, while professing in grand speeches a desire for unity. I feel strongly about the suffering of my Lebanese compatriots, as I do about Israelis’ suffering by-and-large. And I take pride in non-Shiites opening their homes and offering hospitality to the refugees. I prefer, however, to voice my open disagreement with Hezbollah over the start of the war and the way it is being prosecuted. I think that candidness in times of violence and death on such a scale is needed, and that the narrowing of the gap between private and public talk in politics will yield a far healthier result in due course, and will help accelerate a workable cease-fire.

Chibli's thinking represents what today is the biggest yet most prevalent taboo in Lebanese non-shia Society: an unexpressed desire for Israel to defeat Hezbollah.

So is Chibli's comming out an act of courage or an act of treason? You decide

(Comments are moderated. A free exchange of ideas is welcome, but some comments will be removed. please read policy here. If your comment does not immediately show, it's probably because I haven't read it yet or because it doesn't comply with the policy, please wait and don't re-post.)