Over the past month, we’ve seen uncommon leadership on the battlefield from an Arab leader. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has proven, once and for all, that he and the whole of Hezbollah are a legitimate resistance against unwarranted Israeli aggression and, despite claims otherwise, Lebanon is better defended because of Hezbollah and Nasrallah’s leadership. Unlike many, I don’t blame Hezbollah for the recent attacks. That lies squarely with Israel who has planned this since at least April according to several reports. In 1982, Israel took a mere two weeks to march from the frontier to encircle Beirut. This time, after 34 days they weren’t able to stay on a square meter of land. Hezbollah, UNIFIL, or the Lebanese Army will or does control the whole of southern Lebanon except for the Shebaa Farms which should return to Lebanon soon.
Nasrallah admitted he did not expect the level of response from Israel to the kidnapping of two of its soldiers and the killing of three others when the July War started. Surely no one could have foreseen the level of destruction Lebanon was to suffer at the hands of the Israelis as a result of this. This is why blame must be laid on Israel. Unlike so many other times, however, when Israel began it’s campaign against an Arab land and people, Hezbollah fought back. Hezbollah didn’t rely on the Arab nations or the UN, knowing none would be there for Lebanon as they’ve not been in the past. Nasrallah, despite tremendous assaults against Shi’a neighborhoods and against Hezbollah’s headquarters, Nasrallah didn’t back down once. He took responsibility for the successes and failures of the campaign and didn’t claim what wasn’t real. What he said, he did or Hezbollah had done. He proved himself, like him or not, to be a strong leader.
Another Arab, however, has recently come out expecting to be celebrated as a champion of resistance against Zionist aggression and occupation in this long struggle. Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad in a speech two days ago congratulated Hezbollah on their legendary defeat of Israel and claimed a type of brotherhood with Nasrallah as a leader against Israel and their occupation. al-Assad said in his speech to the 4th Conference of the Journalist Union, "we are Arab and this is our resistance and those who do not support it are against us". I fail to see how this man could claim this as our resistance. When has Bashar al-Assad resisted Israel? When did Hafez al-Assad resist? When defending Syria’s own occupation of Lebanon? That isn’t resistance of occupation. That’s defence of occupation.
This self proclaimed fighter of occupation and defender of Arab nationalism goes before the journalist’s conference on Tuesday and attacks his Arab neighbors in the 14 March alliance and accuses them of treason claiming they’re allies of Israel and implicated them in the attacks on Lebanon comparing them to Bashir Gemayal’s failed 14 May initiative. I find it difficult to celebrate Arab unity in the same speech you assail your Arab brethren that you occupied and harassed for 23 years. Also, if that wasn’t enough, this “leader” claims to be the part of some resistance fighting against occupation. Saad Hariri of the 14 March forces came out in a speech in Beirut the following day pointing out that at no time since the 1973 war has Syria made any substantial attempt at freeing the occupied Golan Heights. Even if the late Hafez al-Assad had there have surely been no real attempts since Bashar came to power. This fearless leader has fiercely criticized the Israeli occupation of the Arab lands of the Golan in a sea of supporters safely from the confines of the Syrian parliament. I, myself, am impressed at this bold move. Surely this proves his bravery!
There are many leaders over the years that can be considered bold, brave, and that have fought the oppression of their peoples, whether remembered as saviors or demons, they at least stood up and fought for what they preached about. Be it Nelson Mandela, Yassir Arafat, Eamon DeVelera, or Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, all stood up against insurmountable odds and fought against oppression and occupation. When have we seen the great Bashar stand and fight? Perhaps in the night clubs of London on his way to liberate the Golan from the ophthalmologist school? Bashar al-Assad is no great resistance leader, far from it. He is a legendary hypocrite that is incapable of resistance against a stronger power but who effortlessly assasinates his fellow Arabs in a neighboring country he was claiming to protect. He is not satisfied with the current borders of Syria. He is upset about the Golan being annexed by Israel but, rather than even attempting to liberate these Syrian lands, he would rather make up the lost Syrian territory by subverting the elected government of Lebanon and assimilating the whole of the country into Syrian, or better yet, al-Assad’s control. This is truly the sign of greatness! Lose you land and your people’s land to a strong foe, avoid any confrontation with that foe and steal the same amount of land from your weaker neighbor you were supposed to protect. This is truly the sign of a brave leader!
