Syria in diplomatic spat with Lebanon, but everyone agrees that Hezbollah is the problem - and for the first time, the Lebanese are saying this out loud ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Monday, January 06, 2025

Syria in diplomatic spat with Lebanon, but everyone agrees that Hezbollah is the problem - and for the first time, the Lebanese are saying this out loud

Since Thursday night, Lebanese citizens are almost all banned from entering Syria.

Masnaa border crossing

No one knows exactly why, and analysts are making guesses.

France 24 reports that the reason seems to be that there had been an earlier skirmish between Syrians and Lebanese troops at the border:

The Lebanese army said in a statement on X that its soldiers and Syrians had clashed at the border as the armed forces tried to "close an illegal crossing".

"Syrians attempted to open the crossing using a bulldozer, so army personnel fired warning shots into the air. The Syrians opened fire on army personnel, injuring one of them and provoking a clash".

"Army units deployed in the sector have taken strict military measures," the statement added.

Kataeb reports that this was a quid pro quo on severe Lebanese restrictions on Syrians entering their country:

Sources suggest that Syria's decision was in response to similar Lebanese restrictions on Syrians entering Lebanon. Lebanese authorities currently require Syrians to meet strict entry conditions, including holding valid Lebanese residency permits.

L'Orient Today believes it might be because of fears of Hezbollah trying to re-establish itself.

One explanation offered by Syrian experts is security concerns. "The authorities are afraid of fighters infiltrating Syria from Lebanon, whether from Hezbollah or jihadist groups. This measure has come at a time when the new authorities suspect that some of them are entering Syria," Rami Abdel Rahman, Executive Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), told us.

"The ban on Lebanese access to Syria is all the more understandable given that Lebanon is home to a strategic ally of the former Syrian regime [Hezbollah], some of whose members have fled to Lebanon, while others are currently being hunted down by the new government. Consequently, there is great apprehension that they will foment unrest inside Syrian territory," explained Riyad Kahwagi, analyst and military expert.

This fear is all the more justified after Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Dec. 16 that "the axis of resistance will return to Syria in less than a year," adding, "The occupied territories in Syria will be liberated by the valiant Syrian youth; have no doubt that this will happen."

Fears of Hezbollah infiltrating from both sides could explain the events that are causing tensions. Why would people from the Syrian side try to open up an illegal border crossing to Lebanon if not to transfer weapons (that Israel has not yet bombed) to Hezbollah?

Meanwhile, Hezbollah is claiming that they have completely rebuilt their military. Spokesperson Wafiq Safa said, "Our capabilities are fully restored, and we are prepared to face any attack. Hezbollah is now stronger, tougher than steel, and more powerful than ever before" in a statement where he said Hezbollah would veto presidential candidate Samir Geagea.

Lebanese leaders and media viciously attacked Safa for his statements in light of how Hezbollah is responsible for Lebanon's misery.

The Democratic Renewal Party issued a statement saying, "It would have been better for Hezbollah, after the disaster of the war it caused, to learn a lesson, and return to its Lebanese identity like any component in this country, but it insists on its behavior that contradicts the meaning of Lebanon as a diverse, open country, and the concept of the state and institutions. Enough! The era of terrorizing the Lebanese is over."

Another MP responded:"“Wafiq, there is nothing left in Lebanon that you have not destroyed or ruined. You have even ruined minds. As for sedition, assassinations, and invasions, they are part of your nature and actions. "

IMLebanon was scathing:

Safa’s words are a desperate attempt to convince those who lost their children, families, homes and dreams that “Hezbollah” is “stronger than steel”, at a time when these losers need someone to feed them and convince them that the cause for which they lost everything still exists or originally existed. Anyone who heard Safa yesterday, knowing the history of “Hezbollah” and the history of resistance movements throughout history, would be certain that the “party” today is pitiful, its secretary general is unpopular, the head of its parliamentary bloc is unwanted, and its coordination and liaison officer [Safa] is corrupt and a liar.

Our experience with your party is more than 40 years old. In peace, you threatened us, killed us, and tried to turn Lebanon into a small Iran. In war, you brought us in to implement non-Lebanese agendas, and then you took refuge in our homes from being killed, hiding in our homes and in our beds. ...What you said about Geagea yesterday made us feel ashamed for ever defending you or for feeling pity, even for a moment.

Even as recently as November it was rare to see any explicit anti-Hezbollah sentiments in Lebanese media as the Iranian proxy held the entire country in a grip of fear. Now with their defeat, the Lebanese feel free to publicly say what they have been saying privately for decades.

It is not an insignificant result of Israel's offensive against Hezbollah. It is just a shame that there weren't more brave Lebanese willing to speak out beforehand.