Lebanon, Like Gaza, is on Our Minds

Following the cruel developments Lebanon is beyond disheartening. Parts of the country have faced sorrows akin to those of Gaza: homes turned to dust, souls lost to bombardment with nothing left of them but fabric buried under rubble, schools emptied of students of all ages, and hospitals incapacitated by bombardment, destruction, and the scarcity of medicine and medical equipment. The pain is heightened when one watches from afar, on the news, what has become of Beirut, the "Mother of Laws," a city with the significance of nations. Part of it has the capital of those displaced from its southern suburb, as well as the towns and villages in the South and Bekaa.
I am not the only one who feels this way. Indeed, anyone who has known Lebanon and wandered through its cities, villages, and towns, climbed its mountains, and pondered by its sea, feels this sorrow that has overwhelmed me since the assault against this dear nation began, be they tourists, workers, or university students who breathed the air of its cultural and intellectual climate. Since I was a diplomat who spent years as the ambassador of a country to whom Lebanon is the shining star of its diplomatic constellation, my desolation has a deeper dimension. During my years of diplomatic service, I saw the profound concern and affection that our leaders, past and present, have for Lebanon. This bond is not merely an extension of the path set by our founding king, Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, may God bless his soul, who keenly prioritized relations with our Arab and Muslim brothers. It also stems from a determination to help Lebanon maintain its political balance, thereby avoiding misfortune, and the Taif Agreement attests to this unparalleled concern for Lebanon.
In light of this anxiety that re-emerged after this balance of the Lebanese framework was upended, and with the political landscape of Lebanon suggesting that the nation was vulnerable to the storms of compartmentalization, and given these fears and the acrimony of the public discourse, my work as ambassador (of a country whose leaders are deeply concerned for Lebanon and constantly strive to maintain its balance and stability) mostly involved offering advice and engaging in dialogue with figures whose rhetoric was increasingly marked by unwelcome emotional severity.
Amid the current ordeals in Gaza-Lebanon, I assume that some of these individuals- whom I pray are still alive and unharmed, along with their families and homes- might recall how, as a representative of the Kingdom who enjoyed the privilege of serving as ambassador, remember the counsel I provided. I urged them to avoid excessive defiance, as their statements often felt like projectiles, with some making cutting statements that left injuries akin to those of weapons.
Furthermore, I trust that some of the senior officials, from the heads of political parties to parliamentary deputies, remember our initiatives to preserve official Lebanese relations. These initiatives, which were presented to decision-makers or those capable of making a difference, could have protected Lebanon if these initiatives had been engaged with or if the needed decisions had been taken. They could have prevented Lebanon from being crushed by the enemy at borders, or from being bullied by their distant kin who grew fond of their excess of power and turned it into part of their agendas.
During times of peril, more than any other, such as the ordeal of the nation in Gaza and Lebanon, psychological healing is the only option, even before the physical wounds that cannot be addressed due to the assault. The enemy had prevented food and medicine from reaching the remaining survivors in Gaza, although they delivered in the best possible way, with the chivalry of brothers who care, to Lebanon. May God not forgive the belligerent who ensured this couldn’t happen.
Psychological wounds will not heal before dialogue on what should happen in the next Arab era. Accountability for the actions and choices of the past quarter of a century and the blood they have left is not enough.
Until this broad dialogue takes place, Lebanon will remain on our minds, just like Gaza... and until justice triumphs over oppression.