NM's blog

A chapter by Jospeh Daher  in  The Future of the Occupation of the Palestinians Territories After Gaza

 On the Israeli pager attack on Hezbollah Gary Stodel One of the best anti terror strategies ever employed. The stuff of Hollywood films. Ned Ma Gary Stodel  It is called state terror by scholars of terrorism. There is state violence and non-state violence. Jamus Fundi Ned Ma  it's the best actors who invented today's technology playing and toying with the old technology, and the keepers thinking they are safe. Ned Ma Jamus Fundi  That's not related to my comment. I am speaking about 'terrorism' academically, i.e. sociologically, historically, politically, etc. The key word is scholars who have written about violence and forms of violence. Jim Braiden Ned Ma Terrorism is violence directed at civilians for political purposes. This was not terrorism. Ned Ma Jim Braiden  narrowed the definition and ignored who were killled in the attack. That suits his ideological stance towards a state that has used state terror for decades. “Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: '...

“The tyranny of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak, or other Arab regimes pales compared to the extreme brutality of Saddam Hussein’s and the Assad family’s regimes. I hold no grudge against a leftist Tunisian, Moroccan, or Algerian unaware of the extent of Syria’s violence. However, I do reproach those who know but remain silent . My dear friend the social psychologist Azzam Amin, famously referred to this group as the ‘barrel bomb left’— those who support Assad’s use of barrel bombs on Syrian civilians.”

This war needs to be understood in a broader perspective, beyond its stated aims of destroying Hamas and/or Hezbollah. Historically, every resistance movement that has emerged—from leftist and nationalist to Islamist and religious—have been labeled as “terrorist organizations” before being targeted by Israeli violence. This war is no exception and can be understood as a deadly turn in a long and violent history of Zionist settler colonialism in the region—this time fully and openly backed, funded, and armed by the United States of America. There is also no doubt that Israel’s technological advancement and supply of the most sophisticated and lethal weaponry (provided by the United States and many European countries) made this war clearly disproportionate in terms of military power. Similarly, the unprecedented open political backing of Israel during its televised genocide by most Western governments and, importantly, by the Arab states that have signed the Abraham Accords, has tilted t...

While one can understand that the positive reactions to the assassination by Syrians opposed to the Syrian regime are a form of revenge because of Hezbollah’s complicity, the context surrounding the current moment, matters. We have to be clear, Israel’s war against Lebanon is not to promote the freedom of Syrians or any other population in the region suffering from authoritarian states. With this in mind, Palestinians and Lebanese people have the right to resist Israel’s racist, colonial apartheid state violence, including through military resistance. This includes the right of Hezbollah and Hamas, which are the main actors involved in the armed confrontation with the Israeli occupation army, to resist.” Joseph Daher explains why celebrating Israel's assassination Hezbollah's Nasrallah is short sighted when it comes to Syrians’ struggle against Assad's regime.

Joseph Daher, author of "Hezbollah: The Political Economy of Lebanon’s Party of God", said that Iran’s decision to once again launch a direct attack on Israeli soil – one that he said had had little impact on the country’s military capabilities – likely served more than one purpose. “We have to understand this 'retaliation' from Iran in two aspects,” he said. “Firstly, as a way to reaffirm a form of deterrence against Israel and in response to the numerous attacks of Israel against Iran directly or against Iranian-related targets. And secondly, to maintain this connection in the so-called Axis of Resistance by acting in favour of Tehran's network of influence in the region – especially Hezbollah. Because there were rising criticisms among Hezbollah’s popular base, basically asking, ‘What is Iran doing against the rising attacks, against this escalation of violence against Lebanon?’. That said, this ‘retaliation’ will not stop Israeli war on Lebanon.” Daher said t...

‘ Nasrallah will not rest in peace’

An interview with Amal Saad by Jeremy Schahill

Asymmetries

The Lebanese oligarchy and it’s free market global partners

مشهد الصبّي المتبجّح  # ماكرون  وهو يقلّد  # فيروز  (أحد آخر ما بقي لنا من ذكريات الزمن العربي "الجميل") بوسامه التافه، هو أعلى درجات الإهانة لسيادة وكرامة لا شعب لبنان وحده، بل كلّ شعوب المنطقة العربية.  ممثّل الامبريالية الفرنسية، ووكيل الامبريالية الأمريكية، لم يكتف باستباحة السيادة السياسية والاقتصادية للبنان عبر تدخّله الفجّ في تفاصيل تشكيل الحكومة ومطالبته الوقحة بـ"الاصلاحات" التي حدّدها صندوق النقد الدولي وأصحابه الامبرياليون. بل هو يستبيح كذلك حتّى عالم الرموز والمشاعر ويك رّس في المخيال الجمعي الشعبي حقيقة تبعيّة  # لبنان  لفرنسا في ذكرى مئة عام على تأسيسها لنظامه الطائفي.  لم أعتقد يومًا أنّ فيروز يمكن أن تتخّذ موقفا مغايرًا للترحيب بزيارة ماكرون ووسامه. فتلك هي حدود وعيها السياسي، المرتبطة حكما بموقعها الطبقي المريح، الذي يمكن أن يصل أقصاه إلى فهم التناقض الصارخ مع العدوّ الصهيوني لا إلى تمثّل التناقض العميق مع القوى الامبريالية التي تسند هذا العدوّ. فهذا يحتاج إلى وعي سياسي يساري وطني ثوري لا تملكه. لكنّي كنت آمُلُ أن يتخّذ ابن...

Crise au Liban

Vis Tariq Ali A friend writes from Lebanon: "There’s a blind rage in the streets. I’ve seen nothing like it, Tariq. Not in Pakistan, not in Sri Lanka, not in Turkey, not even in Tunisia when I was there in 2011. I was in Martyrs’ Square yesterday, and there were young people everywhere just looking for something to break. They didn’t care if they would get infected with COVID-19, knowing that the hospitals have collapsed and wouldn’t be able to take care of them. They didn’t fear the security forces arrayed around them, who fired multiple rounds of tear gas first, then rubber bullets, then live ammunition in an abortive attempt to scatter their ranks. “They’ll run out of tear gas and bullets soon,” one protestor told me, noting how everything is in short supply in Lebanon these days. “Then what will they do to us?” It’s extraordinary. The protestors sacked four ministries yesterday, taking with them documents from the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Foreign Affai...