Lebanon’s Maronite leader and the Israel Exception

 

From Naharnet:

Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi again on Tuesday renewed calls for Lebanon’s neutrality towards regional conflicts, stressing that Lebanon has become isolated and is losing its original identity.

“We said nothing new when we demanded Lebanon’s neutrality from regional conflicts. We want back our basic identity, a neutral Lebanon, a civil state, pluralism and coexitence,” said Rahi in a statement from the patriarch's summer residence in the northern town of Dimane.

“Lebanon was open to all countries, east and west, except Israel which occupied our land. Lebanon was Switzerland of the east ... Today, Lebanon has become isolated from the whole world. This is not our identity. Our identity is positive and constructive neutrality, not a warrior Lebanon,” added the Patriarch.

Lebanon wasn’t open to Israel before Israel went into Lebanon and it hasn’t been open to Israel in the two decades since it left. So what is the exact reason el-Rahi says Lebanon doesn’t want to deal with Israel again?

And then he said it again a day later:

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Wednesday met President Michel Aoun in Baabda, following resounding calls that the spiritual leader voiced in recent days for turning Lebanon into a “neutral” country.

…He explained: “Neutrality is to commit to the joint Arab causes without engaging in political or military conflicts or joining axes. It is to be rather the first defender of justice, peace and understanding in the Arab causes, except for what relates to Israel.”

It must be exhausting to say platitudes all day about how your country wants peace and good relations with everyone, and always have to add “except Israel.”