Both N10452 and Hassan ponder who won this war. A question which should, of course, be asked in a broader perspective later on in the course of history. I think, though, that there are two bigger questions to be heard. These two questions are not as obvious as it seems, and people tend to forget that they are not less important than just deciding who won. Though in the middle East winning is, sometimes, all that matters.
The first question to be asked is who lost the war? and what did he lose? Israel lost its pride or at least some of it. And pride and honor is all you can say you had; Israel ruined its economy for this war, and many ponder regarding a special investigation about the course of this war. It seems that everybody lost – the Hizbullah did lost as much as Israel, and the Lebanese people seem to be the biggest losers in this war, though the ceasefire is definitely their major victory where they will regain peace, i hope.
The other question to be would this war come to an End? The quasi-bureaucratic Israel army relies on “We are waiting for official orders†while it continues to invade Lebanon without even thinking of the consequences. On the other hand, does this ceasefire mean that the Hizbullah will stop shooting? or will Israel still be under attack? What do you think?
Only today, after reading N’s post again, i realised that the number is not a random number, it is 10452, the number of Lebanon’s square km. This number was set with the delicate stability of Lebanon. A number which more than anything else symbolises the coexistence of all players in the Lebanese Game. Another typology is the fact that decision 1701 came 1459 decisions later than 242, 1363 decisions after 338 and 142 decisions after decision 1559, showing again, more than ever, that nothing changes here in the middle east.
Its all the same, only the names will change
Everyday it seems were wasting away
Another place where the faces are so cold
Id drive all night just to get back home
Bon Jovi, Dead or Alive
Numbers, here, are just a way to show that nothing changes, just gets it’s own name. In the end, it’s not Israel which was defeated but it was the people of the middle east, which are getting tired of wars, at least i am.
I am tired of wars too!
Although I wasn’t actually in Lebanon when this war took place but it has affected me.
List of wars i have been in:
1990 – was living in Kuwait when Iraq invaded and we fleed to Lebanon where a civil war was taking place.
2003- war on Iraq – was living in Kuwait working as a journalist who even went to Iraq
I am only 26, and believe I have witnessed one too many wars. Can you imagine my Armenian grandfather’s life? He has lived to witness the Armenian genocide, fleed to Lebanon and witnessed all the wars of the region that occured since… over 90 years filled of wars….
Its tiring… mentally and emotionally
Yes, it must be tiring on all accounts. As someone who grew up in Holland, we’ve had plenty of wars, occupations (being the occupied ones a few times courtesy of Philip V and Napoleon and oh yeah, Hitler) and a few more skirmishes, assassinations, double play, foul play, betrayals.. I like to think that the Dutch have finally realized what no more war means or what it means to be manipulated. I think there is plenty of manipulation going on in your region right now. I just realized today that people in the West tend to think of Middle Eastern countries as ‘people with a country’s identity’ but ‘you guys’ have been around for not very long in terms of a nation, Israel or the other countries, that (actually, except Israel) I don’t think the other countries have as much of an identity. It seems to me, that the not so visible other ties people have with others, Druze for instance, or the different factions, the differentations between Sunni and Shia, that the religious identity is much stronger than anything else. I mean, the region was carved up not along logical lines, but lines that favoured one group above another, allowing one to oppress another.. Westerners need to think of that more than just saying ‘why do the Lebanese not do this, or the Egyptians do that ‘ or the like..what do you think Jonathan?
btw..not in Dusseldorf yet?
Ingrid
I’m still in Dusseldorf, going back to israel in a few days.
I think that the ME is quite different than the rest of the world, so it needs to be shaped. I think that your analysis of majority ruling in the ME is quite right, but i’ll have to explain it later, i’m quite unfocused n this morning.