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The world has been living on the time of Donald Trump ever since the result of last week’s US presidential election was announced. We have never seen anything like this before. The world did not hold its breath when Russia handed the keys of the Kremlin to a mysterious man with a past in the KGB called Vladimir Putin. It did not hold its breath when Xi Jinping was crowned heir to Mao Zedong.
Rarely does the world look at its watch because of a single man. Is this a reflection of his power or the power of his country? Or perhaps it is a bit of both. Moreover, the world knows what it is like for him and his party to be in office. It saw how he was pursued by the judiciary as he embarked on a campaign for another term in office, under the slogan of “Make America Great Again.” He danced, survived an assassination attempt, raised his fist and wiped the blood with his red tie.
Rarely does the world look at its watch for a single man, but it did. Several people are worried that he will rearrange world affairs. The Europeans know that the old continent does not figure much in his plans. He has previously reprimanded them for placing the responsibility of defending them on the US and for being stingy in its covering costs. They know that he acts alone and will not ask for permission from anyone, not even the French president, British prime minister or German chancellor, to spring his surprises.
The White House will soon be in the hands of a strongman who claims to have decisive solutions for the world’s economic, security and immigration problems and other open crises. His treatments do not rely on Antonio Guterres and the UN’s diagnoses. The bitter pill is the deal and whoever refuses the pill will incur the wrath of Mr. President. He is the sole doctor and this is why Volodymyr Zelensky was disappointed with the result of the election.
Zelensky knows that the time of open-ended support and the flow of billions of dollars and weapons to Ukraine is over. He must swallow the bitter pill if he wants to stop the advance of the czar’s forces. Trump does not view Russia’s Putin as a great threat, even after it brought “comrade” Kim Jong Un’s forces to Europe. The great danger comes from China and Trump has prepared treatments that will be painful for its economy and for the world economy as well.
The White House will soon be in the hands of a strongman who claims to have decisive solutions for the world’s problems
Ghassan Charbel
The year of the US elections was exciting and the year of the Middle East was terrible. The region observed the race for the White House amid the strikes, missiles, drones and massacres. Gaza has been transformed into a lake of blood that is filled with rubble, corpses and the displaced. The same scenes are being replicated in Lebanon.
Let us set aside observations over Hamas’ management of the scene after the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, Hezbollah’s decision to launch its “support front” and Lebanon’s ability to withstand playing a regional role that goes beyond its capabilities. The main issue now is about ending the hostilities.
It is the right of every person in the Middle East to love or hate America. The same applies to Trump, but the people of the region find themselves confronted with an unavoidable situation: the man who is returning to the White House is the only one capable of stopping the killing before he can even officially take office.
A ceasefire is not a new demand. It has been repeatedly demanded and has repeatedly been met with Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on achieving the goals of the “existential war” waged by Israel. He has gone beyond that and spoken of waging a coup against the balances of power in the Middle East. His battle has shifted to confronting Iran’s proxies and trading blows with Tehran.
Joe Biden sought to strike a deal on Gaza that would include the release of hostages and he tried to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon. Netanyahu, however, skirted around all American pressure and refused to gift Biden a ceasefire, as if he were banking on Trump winning the election.
The Americans have given Trump a broad mandate: that of ending the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon. Some believe that Netanyahu will be unable to refrain from offering a gift to Trump, so talk has again emerged of US envoy Amos Hochstein’s efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Lebanon urgently needs a ceasefire. The prolongation of the war will prolong the catastrophe. The US can add to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 a pledge to quickly resolve the differences over the border. The success of any ceasefire hinges on a Lebanese stance that clearly reflects a decision to restore the southern front to the fold of the Lebanese state and take it out of any regional equation. This stance is necessary amid reports that the countries of the world will not help with reconstructing Lebanon if the possibility of the war erupting again in a few years remains.
Taking southern Lebanon out of the military equation of the conflict with Israel will not be easy for Hezbollah and Iran. But do the Lebanese people have any other choice than stopping a war whose losses and horrors have exceeded previous conflicts? Ending the tragedy demands making difficult choices and the Lebanese state has the right to follow the example of Syria and Iraq in keeping itself away from raging conflicts, especially after the price it has paid for being involved in them.
Reaching a ceasefire is no easy task. It needs a firm American role. The rebuilding of the state must come from Lebanon. And Gaza must give hope for the Palestinian people that they can pursue the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
- Ghassan Charbel is editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. X: @GhasanCharbel
This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.