(Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Prof. Hillel Frisch - While some see French President Macron's visit to Lebanon and the demonstrations against its Hizbullah-dominated government as heralding a new era, such a happy outcome is unlikely. After the massive explosion at the port of Beirut, bearded goons in matching T-shirts appeared on motorcycles to inspect the scene - and the many soldiers from the Lebanese army who were in the area dared not chase them away. The goons were members of Hizbullah, and it is understood by all parties that they would decimate the protesters if the army did not keep them in check. Hizbullah will gun down any attempt to create a Lebanon that is truly a state of all its citizens. The writer is a professor of political and Middle East studies at Bar-Ilan University and a senior research associate at its BESA Center.
2020-08-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive