The Resistance and Syria
Palestinians from the Gaza Strip celebrate the release
of hundreds of prisoners following a swap with captured Israeli soldier Gilad
Shalit on 18 October 2011 in Gaza City. (Photo: AFP - Alessio
Romenzi)
The debate surrounding the stance of Lebanon’s Resistance on the
Syrian crisis never gets past its starting point, namely, the basis on which the
Resistance was established.It is not a question of a “No Resistance, No Peace” mindset, but a process of preparing for a decisive confrontation which – like the hour of death – is inevitable.
The problem regarding Syria continues to be connected to Palestine. This is not a fiction or a fabrication, but a fact as sure as the land. In Palestine, there is a vision of resistance to bring an end to the state of Israel. I know that Azmi Bishara knows something about what was termed the “Dismantling of Israel Committee,” an idea that became plausible only after the 2000 liberation.
Many minds were impacted by this idea. The writings of Mahmoud Darwish and Edward Said attest to the results of the 2000 liberation.....
If people are concerned about issues related to living freely and being rid
of tyranny, then that is a debate for Syrians. Some have decided at the expense
of other causes that the absolute priority is Syria itself. The problem is when
the movers and shakers in Palestine repeat the same mistakes time and again; the
Palestinians don’t want to acknowledge that their battle is exclusively with
Israel, and that what goes on elsewhere concerns them only inasmuch as it
affects their liberation struggle.It is on this point – the link between one’s attitude to the liberation of Palestine and to what goes on around it – that the paradox in the reasoning of the Resistance’s critics emerges. Nobody is entitled to question Azmi Bishara’s right to his assessment regarding the condition of a country or a regime, but Palestine has the right to ask Bishara and others what that stand means for the liberation of Palestine.
The Resistance in Lebanon does not support oppression or justify it, nor does it help the oppressor. It stands, quite simply, where its view of the conflict dictates.
The idea that resistance is a mere slogan is a
simplification unworthy of intelligent minds. Resistance is an integrated
program to which you either subscribe to strongly or you reject à la Hazem
Saghiyeh. He says he rejects the Resistance even if it were to liberate Palestine. In other words, the liberation of Palestine is not his concern or business. He doesn’t say he opposes its liberation, but it’s not his task or priority. As far as I know, Azmi’s way of thinking is supposed to be very different.
Since the day the Syria crisis broke out, there have been attempts to prioritize the demand to overthrow the regime, while the tools for achieving that task were considered unimportant.
Yet those who see themselves as being at the forefront of resistance ought to step back. When they see that the US, Israel, Europe, a Turkey obsessed with restoring the sultanate, and the Arab emirates of oppression, are all standing behind the would-be uprooters of the Syrian regime, they should worry. They should reconsider their calculations and positions. If they opt to be captive to an incomplete or inaccurate picture, they can justify the battle to destroy Syria.
The Resistance in Lebanon does not support oppression or justify it, nor does it help the oppressor. It stands, quite simply, where its view of the conflict dictates. The day will soon come when it is apparent that the eyes of the Resistance fighter have not strayed from the monster that stalks our land and people.
Even as some Palestinians seek to wash their hands of this task, history reminds us: Palestine is a common cause, not a private one.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
Ibrahim al-Amin is editor-in-chief of Al-Akhbar.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
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