The Need For A New Christian (And Lebanese) Leadership

The Lebanese Christians are today in a sorry state, as they are plagued by the worst leaders they have had in a long time.

The same duo that divided the Christians in 89-90 and allowed Syria to occupy the last free areas of Lebanon is still exerting its divisive influence, weakening the Christians to a point that they are marginalized.

Michel Aoun is siding with Hizballa, the Syro-Iranian puppet militia, and with other remnants of Syria's influence in Lebanon. The fact that he is doing this because he was somehow isolated my the March 14 alliance is a poor excuse. The Pro-Syrian coalition that Aoun has joined is implementing a policy that would ultimately bring back the Syrians to Lebanon, and turn Lebanon, once again, into a Syro-Iranian satellite state.

Samir Geagea and the other Christian members of the March 14 alliance have made a pact with the Sunni leadership of the Hariri clan, which has strong ties to Saudi Arabia. Geagea's Sunni allies have a history of marginalizing the Lebanese Christians, and of being sympathetic to some of the extremist movements linked to global terror.

While about 20% of the Lebanese Christians are either staunch Aoun or Geagea supporters, the vast majority longs for a more genuine and stronger, unifying Christian leadership. A quick survey of the remaining Christian leaders clearly shows that there is not one person with the charisma, power base and financial means to lead the Christians out of this crisis.

The only remaining option is the formation of a new party grouping the Lebanese in Lebanon and the Diaspora. Such a party would answer the aspirations of not only the Lebanese Christians, but also their fellow Moslems who have been disenfranchised by their respective leaderships. This would include, for example, the Shiites who do not support Hizballa, the Sunnis who don't support the Hariri clan and the Druze who don't support Jumblatt.

I believe that it is not very hard to unify the Lebanese (especially the enlightened ones among them). Assume a new party emerges with the following agenda and principles:

-A democratic Lebanon that is for and by its people
-A pluralistic Lebanon that respects all of its communities and treats them equally, accommodating their specificities
-A nationalistic Lebanon that is under no foreign influence
-A neutral Lebanon that takes no part in any of the regional or global conflicts. Such a Lebanon would have no enemies and would strive to maintain good relations with its neighbors and beyond
-A prosperous Lebanon that uses its resources effectively, and has no tolerance towards corruption
-A modern Lebanon ruled by modern laws, implemented by a modern bureaucracy, leveraging the latest technologies
-A clean Lebanon that is environmentally sound and fights all aspects of pollution

While such principles may sound naive and impossible to achieve, they are also the founding principles of the nations we admire most and we emigrate to. The Lebanese have a tremendous potential as individuals, and this potential will be boosted by the synergy of a united people.