Once again, Iran-backed Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into war. Indeed, this militia, with a suicidal mentality, chose to protect the interests of the Iranian regime over the interests of Lebanon.
Tragically, we all know the cruelty of the unmeasured Israeli-response to the proxies of Iran. Hopelessly, we are witnessing again and again the suffering of the innocent Lebanese people. They are sick and tired of paying the price of wars of others on their own land. Today, their government seems to be considering legal action against Mr. Naim Qassem (https://tinyurl.com/4kffhbaw).
Bambi does not understand what this would concretely mean, but she salutes the courage of the Lebanese government, especially the Minister of Justice. For the first time, it seems to be standing up against this militia.
May the ban of military actions and the legal measures to hold the head of this group responsible be implemented as soon as possible.
She does not know about your own opinion, dear readers, but it is Bambi’s hope to see the Iranian regime falling down… and good luck to Iran following such historical event.
Enough of terror and wars in the Middle East. All its innocent people deserve to live in peace.
As reported by L’Orient Today, and “according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), so far over 300,000 people have been displaced within Lebanon” (https://tinyurl.com/yc25kmrh). Indeed, in heavily bombed Beirut, several families, with young children, are sleeping on the streets and on beaches. Bambi’s broken heart goes to each one of them.
This being said, the short video by L’Orient Le Jour, shared below, features a young shepherd who was forced to leave his land in South Lebanon, walking with his beloved animals all the way to the Western Bekaa. As he said in Arabic, they have been walking for two days. May they arrive safely to their destination.
May this unwanted war end as soon as possible. Enough of suffering!
Due to a fatal technical issue affecting her server, Bambi regrets having permanently lost her latest post entitled: “Mr. Enrico Macias: your song remains timely. May all the children of the Middle East, and the world, hold out their bruised hands, sow love, and then give life“. Sadly, this post did not have the time to go through the daily night back-up; she apologizes for any inconvenience. Indeed, some of you may have read it. Others may have already noticed that the link is broken.
Of note, her lost post meant the world to Bambi for the following reasons: (1) It was a message of hope for love addressed to ALL the children of the Middle East (in all the affected countries); (2) a message of support to her family and friends in Lebanon and beyond it in which she prayed that each one of them will find creative ways to protect his or her personal sanity in the middle of the regional insanity; and (3) a message of appreciation for the government of Lebanon for its historic decision to ban Hezbollah’s military actions.
While Lebanon is sinking deeper into chaos, Hezbollah keeps on boldly serving the interests of the agonizing Iranian regime while being blinded by its Islamist ideology. Despite her appreciation for the historic Lebanese turning point, Bambi wondered in her lost post if the military ban can be realistically implemented by the government: Does the latter have the military power to do so? Will Israel give it time to implement it it? Or will it keep moving forward with its cruel aggression, and re-occupation, of the Land of Cedars?
May God protect the innocent children and adult people of all the Middle East, including Lebanon. Enough of senseless déjà vu of absurd violence brought upon Lebanon, onceagain, by Hezbollah’s reckless actions. Just think of it, in addition to putting the Lebanese people in danger by sending useless missiles toward Israel, Hezbollah had the nerves to attack Cyprus (i.e., its British base). Yes Cyprus, the most peaceful place of the doomed neighbourhood. Is Hezbollah satisfied now after it gave the green light to Israel to attack Lebanon? When this war ends, will it again tell the Lebanese people that it was a “divine” decision?
By firing a missile toward Israel tonight, Hezbollah appears to prefer the Islamist ideology (+ funding) of the apparently agonizing Iranian regime over the love of Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity, stability, and peace. How sad. How irresponsible.
Bravo to the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for condemning the rocket that was launched from southern Lebanon. He did well by calling it for what it is: “an irresponsible and suspicious act“, which “endangers the country’s security and integrity and gives Israel pretexts to continue its attacks” (https://tinyurl.com/2ru9bb3y).
May God protect Lebanon and all its innocent people wherever they are. They are fed up of violence. They cannot take it anymore. Enough of playing with people’s lives. Enough of absurdity and criminality. Nothing justifies this act, not even grief.
“In light of the dangerous developments unfolding in the region, I reiterate my appeal to all Lebanese to exercise wisdom and patriotism, placing the interests of Lebanon and the Lebanese people above all else. And I repeat that we will not accept that anyone might drag the country into adventures that threaten its security and unity”.
This YouTube short video is followed by a quick English translation of its transcript, with the assistance of Mr. Google Translate (Bambi’s old online friend).
Today’s post ends with music as usual, namely with Mr. Raymond Levesque’s timely song “Quand les hommes vivront d’amour” [When men will live for Love].
“This is the American aircraft carrier Gerald R. Herford, the largest in the world. It was spotted on February 23rd at the Souda Bay naval base in Greece and is expected to arrive off the coast of Lebanon soon.
With this armada now within range of Iran, the risk of an American attack against the Islamic Republic has never been higher.
Today, what force could the United States rely on in the event of war, and what military power could Iran and its allies oppose it? We’ll break it down for you.
The Americans can already rely on their 19 military installations in the region marked in red on the map, housing between 30,000 and 40,000 troops.
In addition to this land power, the United States assembled its largest air force since the invasion of Iraq at the end of February.
The magazine Le Grand Continent estimates that there are between 150 and 200 military aircraft. As for naval forces, the United States has 19 warships, including two aircraft carriers, the Geraldford and the Abraham Lincoln, as well as 14 destroyers, all equipped with dozens of Tomahawk missiles capable of reaching Iran.
But if the United States were to attack Iran, it would likely also be aided by Israel and its powerful air force of over 600 aircraft.
Iran, for its part, has a large military force, including 350,000 in its regular army and 150,000 members of the Revolutionary Guard, the regime’s ideological army.
To compensate for its limited air force, the Islamic Republic has also invested in a significant ballistic missile arsenal, which still includes 1,000 long-range missiles capable of striking Israel, according to Reuters.
As for the Iranian navy, it remains relatively limited. However, Tehran recently showcased its capabilities during a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz to demonstrate its willingness to block this strategic waterway for oil and gas in the event of a conflict. Iran can also rely on its numerous proxies in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Palestine, representing a total of over 500,000 potential fighters.
The Yemeni forces now constitute the most powerful faction of these pro-Iranian militias, with 350,000 soldiers and a significant arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israel and American bases.
Conversely, Hezbollah lost 70% of its domestic arsenal during the last war against Israel. Should the party nevertheless decide to join Iran in the conflict, Israel has threatened to strike Lebanon hard, particularly its airport”.
Thanks to music for transcending our languages, rising above our barriers as well as borders, to teach us how to build bridges of shared humanity and love. Bravo to Musi’Col Colombes for this peace-fostering performance, which would have been even richer with the Russian and Farsi languages. Indeed, such a song is timely, today more than ever, in our deeply troubled world. Bambi hopes you will enjoy listening to it as much as she did.
Mr. Naim Qassem is the current head, or Secretary General, of the Hezbollah [Party of God in English]. His militia group calls itself “resistance”, even if in reality it has always functioned as Iran’s proxy since its creation in the 1980s.
Insolently, despite its recent harsh defeat, along with Lebanon’s massive destruction and many human losses, Mr. Qassem keeps insisting on his group’s “right to resist“. He does so without any respect and consideration for Lebanon’s sovereignty and best interests.
As reported in l’Orient Today, and according to Mr. Qassem, “the aggressive war against Lebanon is also American, conducted through Israeli crimes to ensure American domination” (https://tinyurl.com/9k95scjj). Of course, there is truth in his statement. However, the latter does not tell us the full story: Hezbollah has always ensured the domination, and maybe now the more fragile survival, of the Iranian regime. As a reminder, it did so by opening an illegal front against Israel on October 8, 2023 for an entire year—claiming to support Palestine or Jerusalem. Israel retaliated in the cruellest way possible and it is occupying the Land of the Cedars once again.
Without any schadenfreude for his group’s losses, and even with respect for its pain despite her anger, Bambi urges Mr. Qassem to remember that he is Lebanese like her ancestors—surely NOT Persian, except through his sickening loyalty to the Iranian regime.
To come back to the reality on the ground in Lebanon, it is about time for the Hezbollah to finally begin to learn to accept its defeat. This would contribute to its transformation from a scary military force into a strictly political voice. No one should prevent it from having the legitimate right to continue with its mission of resistance, mindset of Islamism, and even “love of hating” both Israel and the USA. However, this resistance has to be expressed in legally acceptable ways, both domestically and internationally.
Enough of wars of foreign powers in Lebanon. Just enough, for God’s sake.
Bambi just came across Mr. Julien Sfeir’s beautiful song and immediately thought of sharing it with you, dear readers. Fadi, if you read this post, listen carefully to the lyrics : ).
According to L’Orient Today (https://tinyurl.com/4ruwtszu), Angers-based Julien Sfeir is a Franco-Lebanese pharmacist and musician. His song is a “touching tribute” to his birth country and to his beloved grandma—Teta in Lebanese-Arabic—who recently passed away at the age of 101. Her name was Juliette. Born in Lebanon, she grew up in Senegal and settled in Le Mans, Sarthe, in 1981 until her death. She lived in the same apartment all her life almost until her last breath, states Mr. Sfeir. To use his own words, “Teta was everything. She was the family’s centerpiece”. May her memory be eternal and long live her grandson’s inspiring and uplifting creativity.
At the end of this post, and if you wish, you can read the lyrics of Mr. Sfeir’s song in both English and French, as reported by Musixmatch (via Google’s integrated AI). Even if his lovely song is meant to be light, sharing the Lebanese “joie de vivre”, the deep lyrics are thoughtful. They show much consideration for the people of Lebanon in their daily struggle to live with dignity at all levels, from basic safety to the significant cost of living.
Thank you Mr. Sfeir for your timely song, especially today with the worrisome news from our dear birth country.
They talk to me about a world that I don’t know On m’parle d’un monde que j’connais pas
They tell me: You know there On m’dit:Tu sais la-bas
...Well it’s your place …Bah c’est chez toi
Except you my guy Sauf que toi mon gars
You were born in France T’es né en France
And you have lived in Sarthe since your earliest childhood Et tu vis en Sarthe depuis ta plus tendre enfance
But you say that you are Lebanese Mais tu dis que t’es libanais
Like Shakira Comme Shakira
When you don’t even know how to count in Arabic to 3 Alors que tu sais même pas compter en arabe jusqu’à 3
Well, you’re not Arab? Bah t’es pas arabe?
No, I’m Phoenician Non, je suis Phénicien
“And what is Phoenician?” “Et c’est quoi Phénicien?”
Well it’s not Arab Bah c’est pas arabe
We tell you about a country that we present to you as Paradise On t’parle d’un pays qu’on te présente comme Le Paradis
But you who don’t understand anything, you dream of the United States Mais toi qu’as rien compris tu rêves des États-Unis
And one day you decide to go there Et un jour, tu décides d’aller là-bas
Then when you arrive, they tell you Puis en arrivant, on t’dit
“Ahla w sahla!” [= Welcome] “Ahla w sahla!” [= Bievenue]
You hear words everywhere that you recognize T’entends partout des mots que tu reconnais
Ready-made phrases that you’ve heard since you were born Des phrases toutes faites que t’entends depuis que t’es né
And your grandfather here Et ton grand-père ici
Everyone knows him Tout le monde l’connait
You feel like you’re watching episodes that you missed T’as l’impression d’mater des épisodes que t’as loupés
You see hair salons with your last name Tu vois des salons d’coiffure avec ton nom de famille
You suddenly start wanting to call your son “Fadi” Tu t’mets soudain à vouloir appeler ton fils “Fadi”
You hear the waiter say to you T’entends le serveur te dire
“HABIBE” [Who needs a translation : )?] “HABIBE” [As-ton besoin de traduction :)?]
And you think about your mother who your friends called Et tu repenses à ta mère qu’appelait tes potes
“My dear” “Mon Chéri”
It’s shit here C’est la merde ici
But you don’t even see it Mais tu l’vois même pas
When everything is fine with us Quand chez nous tout va bien
“But Nah, it’s not okay!” “Mais Nan, ça va pas!”
We tell you that’s how we live On t’dit que c’est comme ça qu’on vit
That tomorrow might be over Que demain c’est ptêtre fini
And in the face of so much grandeur, well you feel very small! Et face à tant de grandeur, bah tu t’sens tout petit!
Then you realize you’re not the only one like that Puis tu te rends compte que t’es pas le seul comme ça
From Senegal to Canada, there are plenty like you Du Sénégal au Canada, il y en a pleins comme toi
Millions of Lebanese who never came Des millions de libanais qui ne sont jamais venus
And you would dream of telling them: Don’t wait Et tu rêverais de leur dire:N’attendez
The more I think about it Plus j’y pense
And less I hope Et moins j’espère
I grew up in a country where everything makes me desperate J’ai grandi dans un pays où tout me désespère
The Switzerland of the Middle East, say the experts La Suisse du Moyen-Orient disaient les experts
Rolex had to retrain in weapons of war Rolex a du se recycler dans les armes de guerre
You know I know they don’t care about us Tu sais je sais qu’ils se foutent de nous
But there’s nothing you can do, and it’s driving me crazy Mais tu peux rien faire, et ça me rend fou
You talk about Paradise Tu parles de Paradis
I see hell Moi je vois l’enfer
And these madmen are playing with our nerves Et ces fous furieux jouent avec nos nerfs
And when I say our nerves, there is also the stomach Et quand je dis nos nerfs, il y a aussi l’estomac
When you see the price of a Shawarma today Quand tu vois aujourd’hui le prix d’un Shawarma
Everyone has their own God Chacun son dieu
Even if it’s the same for everyone Même si c’est le même pour tous
I pray that one day his anger will splash on them Je prie pour qu’un jour sa colère les éclabousse
Nothing remains of the cedar except the roots Il reste rien du cèdre à part les racines
But it will grow back one day I imagine Mais il repoussera un jour j’imagine
In the meantime, I can’t stay there anymore En attendant moi, j’peux plus rester là
Mom, don’t blame me Maman, m’en veux pas
I know you will understand Je sais que tu comprendras
Then you realize that you’re not the only one like that Puis tu t’rends compte que t’es pas le seul comme ça
From Senegal to Canada, there are plenty like you Du Sénégal au Canada, y en a pleins comme toi
Millions of Lebanese who one day came Des millions de libanais qui sont un jour venus
And you understand what they say Et tu comprends qu’ils disent
“We can’t take it anymore!” “On n’en peut plus!”
“We can’t take it anymore!” “On n’en peut plus!”
We would all like to tell you that we are pissing you off On aimerait tous vous dire qu’on vous emmerde
You are destroying the country that our grandparents left to us Vous détruisez le pays que nos grands-parents nous lèguent
Day after day destroy the hope of living in peace Bousillez jour après jour l’espoir de vivre en paix
But yallah, keep going Mais yallah, continuez
You can never take away from us Vous ne pourrez jamais nous enlever
The love of a devoted Teta [Teta = Grandma] L’amour d’une Téta dévouée [Téta = Grand-maman]
Celebrate wanting to start again Fêter à vouloir recommencer
This strength to never give up Cette force de ne jamais abandonner
The chance one day to have been La chance un jour d’avoir été
Lebanese Libanais
Grandma: “It’s okay [Grandma: It’s ok] Grand-mère:”Ça va [Grand-maman: Ça va]
It’s okay Teta [It’s OK grandma] Ça va Téta[Ça va grand-maman]
