2006 had bad moments and good ones...
I started my year amongst Iraqis...good people that I am still in contact with...They were no more my Iraqi participants but my Iraqi friends...they thought me to believe in human beings...they thought me that years and years of fear and oppression cannot transform people into becoming bitter and suicidal...My Iraqi friends...I love you ...you showed me hope...
In May I decided to create my blog to share my views on Iraq and the Middle East with whoever is interested...well at that time I thought my audience will only be my family and close friends...but I never thought that I will have so many readers...Well the July war helped a bit...
The war was of surprise for everybody in Lebanon...We were expecting thousands of tourists not thousands of Israeli bombs...
The war was hard on all of us on both sides...But it was during this war that I had the courage to say whatever I wanted on my blog...without fears...
and it is during this war that a great relationship blossomed in my life...
September was another important date in my life...I got pregnant...for the second time...
I know that I share alot of personal events with you all...and I love that...eventhought that I dont know alot of you...
So I want to wish you all a happy new year...and thank you all for the support and for your comments on the blog...Thank you all my friends in Australia...you were the first ones to encourage me..thanks mark for having me on ur radio show....
thank you my friends in the Middle East...for all you comments and support especially during the war...
thank you all in Europe and the States and Canada...
thank you heloush and deedee for ur support and heloush for encouraging me to keep on writing...and deedee thanks for telling me when i sounded stupid in my writings and of course when i sounded intelligent (a few times apparently)...
and thank you for the one who was always inspiring me...eventhough she wont like it...she was and still is my muse...

I love you all and wish you the best for the year 2007...

The Arab Peace Camp

Where are they?
Those who want to make peace with Israel…
Either they are non-existent or they are hiding…
If they are non-existent…we are in a bad shape…we are definitely in trouble…
If they are hiding…It is time to come forward…
Why is that?
Because it is only when we will have a Peace Camp on the Arab side that we can connect to the somehow existent Peace Camp in Israel and only then we can cooperate with them to form a kind of Lobby for peace.

Peace will never come from the US, or the UN, or the Europeans…
Peace will only come from the Middle East…
Peace will only come from the People of the Middle East…

So, where are all the hidden Arab peace agents?
Where are all those Arabs who have been in touch with Israelis and expressed their sincere wishes of peace between Arabs and Israelis?
Where are all those Arabs who have met Israelis and discovered that they had many things in common?
Where are all those Arabs who have shared visions of peace with Israelis either over breakfast, or lunch or dinner?

Where is the Arab Peace Camp?

The Peace Tale

I am back to my old obsession: the peace process in the Middle East…

As I mentioned previously in many of my posts I am in favor of a more assertive, more aggressive, more open role of the Lebanese government in the peace process with Israel…

I want to see the Lebanese government more active in coming forward with a vision for the future relations between Lebanon and Israel…

Ah!!! I am sure that the use of the words relations, Lebanon and Israel in the same sentence is already shocking for many…

But hey…The Palestinians are shaping their future with Israel…
The Syrians are begging day after day to renew peace talks with Israel…

So why should it be a crime for us if we do the same?

Why should Hezballah dictate its agenda on the whole country?

Finish!!! We had enough of fighting Israel…

I don’t get it…This whole conflict in the Middle East started because the Palestinians were kicked out of their land…

Now the Palestinians want peace with Israel…They accepted Israel as their neighbor

So, what is making us refuse that? What gives Hezballah the right to oppose that?

Why am I writing all this now?

Well, because I don’t feel comfortable when I see that Israel and Syria will renew the peace talks…and we the Lebanese are left on the side…are used as a battlefield…are seeing our country being deteriorated…when others are working on building a better future for themselves…

If you are wondering why we look so happy and if you are wondering what are we doing and if you are wondering what are we drinking...
Here is the answer....
We are having the unofficial xmas dinner at my place...
What is it? well it is xmas dinner a night before the 24th of december and we are having the dinner with friends instead of the family...
The family xmas dinner on the night of 24 is the OFFICIAL xmas dinner...
We look happy...because there is love all around and among us...
What are we drinking...of course Champagne to celebrate our gathering and our love...
Many many people are missing from this table...but it is a matter of time only and ALL those I love will be sitting on this table sharing love, food and good Champagne...
Again and again...Merry Xmas...

As always a happy and proud host...

Another successful event...the last for the year 2006...

Merry Xmas... This is the time of the year when the Angels and Good Spirits keep on dancing around all those who are connected to the Universe...

Enjoy your holidays wherever you are in the world...Take a break from fears and worries...

Stupidest mistakes

In 3 weeks time Madrid will be hosting another peace conference for the Middle East

You remember the first Madrid Peace Conference in 1991?
You remember how the Israeli prime minister was dragged by force of course to the conference?
You remember how the Syrian foreign minister attacked Shamir?
You remember how the Lebanese foreign minister was a non-talking puppet?
You remember the Palestinian delegation being represented within the Jordanian delegation?

What has changed since 1991?

Oh a lot!

Israel recognized the PLO…as a legitimate representative of the Palestinian People
Oslo was concluded…
The Historical Handshake on the White House lawn…
The Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty…
Mini-failed accords between Israel and the PA…
Failed Syrian-Israeli peace talks…

What hasn’t changed since 1991?

The Syrian-Israeli peace process TALE…
The Lebanese non-talking puppet attitude…

When it comes to Israel…Lebanon has three favorite slogans:
Israel is our Enemy
Lebanon is the last Arab country to sign a peace treaty
No direct contacts between Lebanese and Israelis: (politicians and citizens)

Even during the last war…we refused to negotiate directly with the Israelis…we needed the Americans and the Europeans for that…

What nonsense is that?

The Syrian regime made up that rule for us…When Hafez Assad invented the “One path, one destiny” bullshit….

What is making us now afraid of negotiating with Israel face to face?
What is it that making us afraid to meet Israelis to talk about Peace?
Why aren’t we calling for Open negotiations with Israel?

At least for us we won’t be begging like the Syrian regime…for negotiations

At least if WE call for direct negotiations with Israel…we will be sitting at the table

The Syrian regime is calling for direct negotiations with Israel…to bargain OVER Lebanon…

In 3 weeks time, Madrid will be hosting a Peace Conference…
According to the Israeli newspapers…The Conference will be held with the presence of an Israeli and Syrian delegations and a Palestinian delegation from FATAH only and a Lebanese delegation…

The stupidest mistake that the Lebanese delegation can do is to stay quiet…
The stupidest mistake that the Lebanese delegation can do is to let others negotiate on its behalf…
The stupidest mistake that the Lebanese delegation can do is to go to Madrid thinking that claiming back the Shebaa Farms is enough and sufficient…
The stupidest mistake that the Lebanese delegation can do is to go to Madrid without a CLEAR vision about the Lebanese peace with Israel…

It is time for us Lebanese to be courageous enough to call for direct negotiations with Israel…

It is time for us Lebanese to be courageous enough to know more about the Israelis…to ask questions about them…to learn about them…

What do we know about the Israeli ordinary person?

Back to the box

I am back to the box…

To tell you the truth I wasn’t in touch with the Lebanese absurdity for two weeks…

To tell you the truth I am not regretting it…

To tell you the truth I am still wishing that whatever is happening in Beirut is a nightmare…a bad dream…

To tell you the truth I am not willing to shut up or shut down and watch Lebanon being destroyed…

To tell you the truth I am feeling like a stranger in my own country…

To tell you the truth I am feeling that Lebanon is being hijacked…

To tell you the truth I am not alone…feeling that way…

Are we going to watch them destroy the country?

I am not…are you willing to ACT?

from outside the box

What does it take to cross borders?

One giant step?

One small step?

Well it depends on the borders...

Geographical borders need one small, tiny step and hop!!!! you are crossing to the other side...

Psychological borders need one GIANT step...

One giant step...Courage...and the will to do so...

When you are taking a giant step in history you stop thinking of the consequences...

You stop calculating...NO risk assessment...

You only ACT...You only leap...

Breaking the psychological borders is the start of breaking all the geographical fake borders in the world...

Once you do the leap...There is no going back...

Greetings From Maastricht