Our artist wanted to show the contrast between the Lebanon of today ( L) and the Lebanon of the future as peace talks in Washington bring hope to the Lebanese that finally we can live in peace with our neighbors . This is the moment for Lebanon to choose between remaining hostage to endless conflict or finally reclaiming its country, its independence, and its future.
Lebanon cannot reclaim its sovereignty, economy, or future while an armed group loyal to Iran continues to control war and peace.
By : The Editorial Board , Opinion
For decades, the Lebanese people were told that Hezbollah existed to liberate Palestine (فلسطين) and defend Lebanon. Reality has proven the exact opposite.
Hezbollah never liberated one square inch of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Nor did it ever truly defend Lebanon as a sovereign nation. Every major confrontation it launched against Israel brought devastation upon Lebanon itself, leaving the Lebanese people to pay the price in blood, destruction, economic collapse, and international isolation.
The community Hezbollah claims to represent suffered the most from its endless wars and reckless adventures. Entire Shiite towns and neighborhoods were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands lost homes, businesses, savings, and futures. Today, many remain displaced or homeless in a country exhausted by conflict and abandoned by those who once promised “victory.”
Meanwhile, Lebanon itself was transformed from the “Switzerland of the East” into a failed state increasingly viewed around the world as an Iranian colony.
This is the tragic reality Hezbollah created.
Its weapons were never under Lebanese state authority. Its military decisions were never made in Beirut. Its allegiance has always been to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the ideology of Tehran’s regional project — not to the Lebanese state, its constitution, or its national interests.
No sovereign country can survive with an armed organization operating above the state, controlling decisions of war and peace, dragging an entire nation into conflicts it neither wants nor can afford.
Enough is enough.
Lebanon must finally declare Hezbollah’s military wing a terrorist organization and ban it. This is no longer merely a political issue. It is a matter of national survival.
A country cannot rebuild its economy, restore its currency, attract investment, revive tourism, or regain international trust while a heavily armed militia loyal to a foreign power dominates national life.
Lebanon needs peace with its neighbors — not permanent war — if it hopes to reclaim its sovereignty and rebuild the state.
That is why the current direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington matter so much. As the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors meet face to-face for the third time to discuss a framework for peace and long-term stability, all Lebanese should support this effort regardless of sect or political affiliation.
This may be Lebanon’s last real opportunity to save itself.
Peace does not weaken Lebanon. Peace strengthens the Lebanese state, strengthens the Lebanese Army, revives the economy, returns hope to the people, and restores Lebanon’s rightful place in the world.
Those who oppose peace must answer one simple question:
What exactly have decades of war achieved for Lebanon other than destruction?
If Hezbollah chooses to turn its weapons inward against the Lebanese people in order to stop the country from reclaiming its sovereignty, then Lebanon’s leadership must seek immediate international and United Nations support to protect the state and its citizens.
The Lebanese people deserve one army, one authority, and one sovereign nation — not a permanent battlefield for regional powers.
This is the moment for Lebanon to choose between remaining hostage to endless conflict or finally reclaiming its country, its independence, and its future.
