Ghajar style governance for the whole occupied territories
Last time I visited the southern borders of Lebanon, (Northern borders of Israel), I was in a village called Meri, which is right next to the Ghajar village... this was end of summer 2009...
I was having Matteh (traditional druze drink) on the balcony of my hosts...the sun was shining, the weather was perfect...and the nature was splendid...
In the background, there was no sound of church or mosque prayers...but sounds of protest from the inhabitants of Ghajar, refusing the Israeli withdrawal from their village. This was a year ago...
The Israeli government took the decision to withdraw... the whole of the international community has supported the move...what a courageous decision, what a brave move to ease the tension in the region!! This is what the IC expressed...
Meanwhile, in the region...the feelings are different...just to use an objective term!!!
The situation is so complex, so complicated and in the same time, the Ghajar problem is just a simplification or a small demonstration of a wider an larger problem that is of the Golan heights and maybe the same can be said about the settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories...
To sum up the situation in Ghajar:
1-Territory belongs to Lebanon
2-People are Syrian Alawites with Israeli passports
3-Governance is Israeli
What more do we need to say?
What we read in the newspapers is that Israel will withdraw, it will hand over the land and the people to the UNIFIL and they will keep a small opening where the Israeli passport holders can enter to the Southern Ghajar because the Israeli authority is still and will always be responsible for its citizens.
So how can we describe this newly created entity?
If this model works, will Israel adopt this for the Israeli passport holders in the whole of the Golan heights and for the settlers that will remain in the OPT?
If this model works, wouldn't the Syrians in the Golan heights prefer to keep their Israeli passports and lobby for a Ghajar style governance?
So, the Ghajar withdrawal is a turning point in the conflict management and peace process options...
But it seems not many see it that way... at least not the Lebanese government...that has not commented on the withdrawal till this morning...which is not acceptable...
But our politicians are always "depasses par les evenements" as the French would declare!!
I was having Matteh (traditional druze drink) on the balcony of my hosts...the sun was shining, the weather was perfect...and the nature was splendid...
In the background, there was no sound of church or mosque prayers...but sounds of protest from the inhabitants of Ghajar, refusing the Israeli withdrawal from their village. This was a year ago...
The Israeli government took the decision to withdraw... the whole of the international community has supported the move...what a courageous decision, what a brave move to ease the tension in the region!! This is what the IC expressed...
Meanwhile, in the region...the feelings are different...just to use an objective term!!!
The situation is so complex, so complicated and in the same time, the Ghajar problem is just a simplification or a small demonstration of a wider an larger problem that is of the Golan heights and maybe the same can be said about the settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories...
To sum up the situation in Ghajar:
1-Territory belongs to Lebanon
2-People are Syrian Alawites with Israeli passports
3-Governance is Israeli
What more do we need to say?
What we read in the newspapers is that Israel will withdraw, it will hand over the land and the people to the UNIFIL and they will keep a small opening where the Israeli passport holders can enter to the Southern Ghajar because the Israeli authority is still and will always be responsible for its citizens.
So how can we describe this newly created entity?
If this model works, will Israel adopt this for the Israeli passport holders in the whole of the Golan heights and for the settlers that will remain in the OPT?
If this model works, wouldn't the Syrians in the Golan heights prefer to keep their Israeli passports and lobby for a Ghajar style governance?
So, the Ghajar withdrawal is a turning point in the conflict management and peace process options...
But it seems not many see it that way... at least not the Lebanese government...that has not commented on the withdrawal till this morning...which is not acceptable...
But our politicians are always "depasses par les evenements" as the French would declare!!
posted by Laury Haytayan at 1:48 AM
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