Photo: Wikimedia Commons

For decades the Middle East has been continuously in turmoil, with a de facto state of war for many countries exacerbated by internal politics. Today we have the most important conflict emerging which will shape every corner of the Middle East. On one side of this conflict are Islamic extremist groups who are pushing for the implementation of Shariah, or Islamic law. Their goal is the creation of a unified Islamic Kingdom (Caliphate) which most Muslims acknowledge has not existed since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. On the other side stands the moderate camp, which despite their positions as leaders in government, shield themselves from progressives and liberalizing forces in order to keep the status quo which has kept them in power for decades.

The internal political map and dynamics inside Lebanon, a small but important state in the Middle East, always reflected the regional forces and conflicts in a very clear and sharp way.

The Extremist camp led by Hezbollah, supported by Iran and Syria are at odds with the March 14th camp, which was successful in expelling Syria from Lebanon and recently brought the killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Al Hariri to justice in international court

In May of 2008 the Lebanese government, led by the March 14 Alliance sacked Wafeek Shukiera, a military officer who had been passing sensitive intelligence and national security secrets to Hezbollah. In doing so, the moderate Lebanese government was able to disable the underground telecommunications network linking Hezbollah with the Lebanese army. To say this was a wildly successful operation would be an understatement.

The effects of this move were enormouse. The government of the March 14th Alliance and their allies ended the occupation of West Beirut by Hezbollah without involving the Lebanese army in a bloody urban skirmish or subjecting its citizens to Hezbollah attacks..

Walleed Junblat, one of the leaders of the March 14th Alliance and Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri were applauded by the United States, Europe, and Lebanon’s moderate allies in the region. Yet, they felt deserted by their internal allies.

In contrast, Hezbollah and their counterparts received and are still receiving full support economically, logistically, and morally from their sponsors. Their power is only augmented by their sophisticated weapons brought by Iran and Syria, in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701.

Lebanon now feels abandoned and alone, a country where an international terrorist organization not only has the most influence, but is well equipped by Iran and Syria to plunge the country into another civil war. With only a pat on the back coming from the West for their work in countering Hezbollah, the Lebanese government is losing faith that the world will come to their side in case of an emergency. The consequences will be dire.

As a result, the question of Hezbollah’s weaponry is not an issue that is acceptable in Lebanese political discourse. Only two years ago, this was a central issue. Today, Lebanese do not even discuss the influence Syria and Lebanon have in their country – not out of disinterest, but fear. Further more, the leaders of the March 14th Alliance, Prime Minister Hariri and Junblat, both of whom had their fathers assassinated by the Syrian Regime, are forced to proverbially bow down to Syrian President Assad.

The fight for Lebanon is not over, but the moderates are losing as the extremists hold sway. As in many countries in the region, moderate forces need to be empowered with the full economic and political support of the Western world to stand a chance against the likes of Hezbollah. Because right now, the Lebanese government and its people are on the pitch, and they desperately need a goal.

Raslan Abu Rukun is Israel’s Deputy Consul General in Philadelphia and the first Arab-Israeli diplomat to hold the position.

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