Here is Beirut’s story (option 1 of the title).
Here is the news of the day on August 13 (yesterday):
w.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53770859
Yes, the UAE became the third Arab country to normalize its relations with Israel (since Jordan in 1993-4, following Egypt om 1979). Perhaps this tells us the following: (1) Iran, with its large threat to the Arab world, “succeeded”, over the past years, in pushing the UAE in the arms of Israel. One must not also forget the simple saying of “the friend of my friend is my friend” (both countries are friends of the USA); and (2) Whether the media and the political analysts like it or not, Mr. Trump may have shown us yesterday that he is far from being an idiot, after all. To use the words of a Dear family from Toronto, “will Mr. Trump get a peace noble prize now“? This may seem like a joke, especially to all those who cannot stand Mr. Trump. However, in the bloody Middle East, any move toward peace is a miracle in itself. If only for the latter, Bambi will say bravo and thank you for giving us hope that peace is possible!
Bambi wrote the above whilst not being a fan of Mr. Trump (she is not fatally allergic to him neither… plus, who said that the alternative(s) are necessarily better?). Mind you, since she is not American, her opinion does not matter as she is not voting in the fall. Sadly, she just knows that the United States are internally as divided as the Lebanese politicians, now struggling to form a government. Each wants a piece of the cake (but the Lebanese desert has totally melted during the Beirut explosions…).
Once again, as per an earlier sarcastic post entitled “Mideast Peace counter-plan” (see further below), Bambi disliked a key part of Mr.Trump’s so-called peace plan for Jerusalem. She had wished it was the capital of both states (Israel & Palestine) and if, need be, put under international mandate for a while. She is not saying this from a religious point of view (she does not care much about religions despite having faith in her heart). She is saying so from a citizen point of view. She does not care much about ideology (whether religious or not!).
This being said, Bambi salutes any step that can take the Middle East toward peace and economic prosperity, not toward more hegemony or wars (by anyone, today it is by Iran. In the past and tomorrow, by someone else). Yesterday, something apparently very positive was achieved. Time will tell how this will unfold in the legalities and on the ground.
The UAE did their best interests (good for them), plus annexation of the West bank is now halted. What can we ask for more for God’s sake? Didn’t the Palestinians and the Israelis, and by extension some in Lebanon and the area (Hezbollah, Syria et al.) and the Middle East had enough of wars lately? Bambi is thinking of Iran, this elephant in the room whose own population suffers, like the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the Syrians, and the Iraqis. Bambi cannot stop thinking (even whilst sleeping) about the citizens of Beirut in the fragile Lebanon.
Yes, the tragedy of the Palestinians is still in your face. No one can deny it, especially when we come from the Middle East! Despite this, Bambi dislikes radicalism (i.e., Islamism or other). Bambi is with love and respect. Bambi is all for peace and prosperity… especially after watching the consequences of political negligence, corruption, and/or violence, as you can see in this incredibly moving CBC interview entitled “Parents of Canadian child [Alexandra or Lixou, featured in an earlier post] who died in Beirut blast hoped she would be ‘miracle of this big tragedy’” (great job by the sensitive journalist… and MUCH love to the amazing grieving and injured parents):
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1775827523608
In all honesty, to come back to the peace deal, Bambi does not understand why the Palestinians are unhappy, considering this a stab in the back from the UAE. The latter is a separate and sovereign country, no? Perhaps because they are under the influence of radicals like in Lebanon, could it be?
In Bambi’s mind, both Palestine and Israel missed historic chances of signing peace treaties. In the case Israel, a clever peace deal was proposed by the Arab League at a meeting in Beirut (2002) a few years ago. Sadly, Israel missed the chance of making history then. For Palestine, Bambi cannot remember precisely but likely more than once.
Of course, we all have been dreaming for a resolution of the Palestinian tragedy for ages (what happened to the Palestinians is sad beyond words. It is somehow similar to the Acadian past tragedy. As a reminder, Lebanon has been dragged into the Palestinian tragedy during civil war. So, clearly, it paid a heavy price, resulting even in a 15-year Israeli occupation that ended 20 years ago). Furthermore, Syria which occupied Lebanon for 30 years prevented it from negotiating peace with Israel on a one to one basis.
Is Bambi fond of the Israeli occupation and/or abuses of Palestinians or continuous construction of colonies? Of course not! How could she be? Does this mean she supports radicalism then, in both Palestine and Lebanon (financed by Iran), to supposedly fight Israel, or at least to permanently hate it? Of course not. What about those fire bombs suspended from balloons sent to Israel and those strikes on Gaza? No, Bambi is against violence. Period. There are other more constructive ways to make peace and secure justice.
We can have the most beautiful peace treaties of the world everywhere but if people’s hearts are not filled with tolerance, love, and humanity, no peace deal will ever succeed. Alternatively, when there is love and tolerance, no need for peace treaties. Respect and love are antidotes to wars and fear. We must learn and commit to de-escalate and… eventually to trust. Yes, we can learn to re-trust and it goes both ways.
At the end of the day, peace is very simple in Bambi’ mind: All our children deserve to live in peace everywhere, across Canada as well as in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Russia, China, etc.
To conclude this post, enough blood and fire. Enough fear and grief. ENOUGH please. This is why, between violence and peace, Bambi clearly prefers peace. The latter is not an abstract choice. The latter is a personal choice rather. It is a mindset. It is a heart. It is an extended hand.
Peace is about building bridges, not destroying them. It is about knowing that our loved ones have the basic needs of the Maslow Pyramid: Physiological needs and safety/security needs. Check the red and orange parts of the pyramid below: How many Beirutis do not have these basic needs right now (e.g., 300, 000 homeless, 6000 injured, 170-78 dead, and some still missing)?! How and when could they move again to the top of the pyramid, where they have traditionally been, as “Paris of the Middle East“?! Even the worst country on the planet (likely not even Venezuela) is now ahead of Lebanon, in terms of quality of life!
