On Olives and Sake

What is Yafa?

A 13 year old [Qawmieh Sourieh] girl that her father swore to name her Yafa,

A Song, fairouz singing…

أذكر يوما كنت بيافا
خبرنا خبر عن يافا

وشراعي في مينا يافا
با أيام الصيد بيافا

نادانا البحر ويومه سحر فهيأناه المجدافا
نلمح في الخاطر أطيافا عدنا بالشوق إلى يافا
ُ
فجرا أقلعنا, زنداً وشراع
في المقلة ضعنا, والشاطئ ضاع

هل كان الصيد وفيرا؟
وغنمنا منه كثيرا
قل من صبح لمساء
نلهو بغيوم الماء

لكن في الليل… في الليل
جاءتنا الريح… في الليل
يا عاصفة هوجاء… وصلت ماء بسماء
عاصفة البحر الليلة… فطعان ذئاب بحرية

أنزلنا الصاري… أمسكنا المجذاف
نقصو ونداري… والموت بنا طاف
قاومنا الموج الغاضب… روضنا البحر الصاخب
وتشد وتعنف أيدينا… ويشد يشد القارب

ويومها قالوا…
إننا ضائعون
إننا هالكون
في الأبد البارد

لكننا عدنا
عدنا مع الصباح
جئنا من الرياح
كما يجيء المارد

ودخلناها مينا يافا
با طيب العود إلى يافا
وملأنا الضفة أصدافا
يا أحلى الأيام بيافا

كنا والريح تهب تصيح نقول: سنرجع يا يافا
اليوم الريح تهب تصيح ونحن سنرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا

That’s what’s left of Yafa.

The rest is Tel Aviv now.

I play that song, and tears start running, I donno anything about Yafa, except that girl that has an amazing belief in the Mandarins of Yafa in her eyes. You can still hear the salesmen in the bazars of Latakia calling after their Yafawi Mandarins.

And a fairouz voice telling me that, we will be back someday,

But then I wake up, and ask her again, Back? Where?

Arab-Israeli conflict, is a Human conflict, way more than a military conflict.

Any attempt to look at a solution must consider this.

And the whole situation in Lebanon is a clear sign.
This is not a war against Hizbulla, This is a systematic destruction of Lebanon.
Hizbulla is not defending Lebanon, Hizbulla is only attacking Israeli cities.

Amin Maalouf in his “On Identity” says that,
A war, is the best environment for extremism. The people will only listen to the sound of war, and the more extreme the shout is, the more the people will listen, and will abide… unfortunatly, it’s very true.

Those who will not put an effort to study the other side’s motives, culture, hopes and dreams, will never have a chance to win, win peace.

Thats one side of this conflict, Israeli Cinematographers show solidarity with Lebanon.

Another side, a lot of people seem to be forgetting. Dictatorships, dont want peace. as much as Israel doesnt want peace.

And the Syrian regime is making the best out of this crisis.

Former PM and Damascus spring figure, Riyad Seif, beaten up after an investigation session in the State Security Aparatus [Amn al-Dawleh].

FUCK U

FUCK UR GODS

FUCK UR LAND

FUCK UR CAUSE

FUCK UR CIVILIZATION

FUCK UR TECHNOLOGY

FUCK UR PATRIOTISM

FUCK UR HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS

FUCK UR HOPES AND FUCK UR DREAMS

FUCK UR WINNINGS AND FUCK UR MARTYRS

FUCK UR PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MIDDLE EAST

FUCK UR PEACE

U KNOW WHAT, FUCK UR LOVE

Read Ghassan Tweiny’s last editorial, here.

It’s beautiful.

Again, he proves a genuis, and above this whole world of shit.

according to the Associated Press, Israel says its willing to ceasefire [or in other words stop destorying Lebanon] if the 2 soldeirs are released.

NOW its time to shine. RELEASE THEM AND STOP THIS MISERY BA2A.

Today, we are all Lebanese.

Lebanon has been sentenced to death. On Wednesday 12 July, she was put in prison, and now she’s being tortured.

Israel’s war is with Lebanon’s civilians, not Hizbollah. Nearly every person killed has been a civilian. Power stations, bridges and petrol stations have been targeted. Israel has warned residents to get out of certain villages, but bombed roads to make it difficult – and refugee convoys have been picked out for deadly air raids.

And getting out of the country is impossible now too. The airport has been destroyed, the sea ports are blockaded, and the border posts and highways have been razed to the ground.

Lebanon is held hostage to the angry Israeli war machine. And now more than ever, Syrians bloggers, just like every Syrian stand by her.

Another generation of Lebanese will know nothing but war. We can’t let this happen, Again.

This post has been supported by the group of Syrian bloggers at Syria Planet. Please feel free to re-post this statement, and tell one of us, so we can all add your name to this list.

Sasa, The Syria News Wire
Yazan Badran, My Stupid Corner
Ammar, My Many MY’s
Ayman Haykal, The Damascene Blog
Omar Salaymeh, Earth to Omar
Annie (in French), Blog.Syrie.Be
Aleppous, Aleppous
Stellar, Rollercoaster Journey
Abu Fares, Abu Fares Says
Ahmad, ضـ ـيـ ـا ع
Ihsan, Bits & Bites of Syria
Oz, Between Syria and France
Shady Zayat, مبعثرة
Soraya, Syrian to the Bone
Omar Faleh, Deconstructed Life
Ayhm Jzzan, ayhm2006
Sharks, Getting Started
Fares, Free Michel Kilo Now
Yaser, roneceve
Amr Faham, My Life, Adventures, and Memories

Israel is using phophoric bombs.

On another note, for info on how to be more active, check this link..
http://lebanonheartblogs.blogspot.com/2006/07/do-something.html

For brilliant inside coverage, check LP’s.
http://lebop.blogspot.com/

I am angry, but words like these inspire u to put anger aside and deal with the bigger problem…

for more passionate coverage, check eve’s blog.

This is a turning point in the history of this conflict, and again it’s on the expense of Lebanon, everybody fights its battles on Lebanon. I applaud all lebanese, I give them my full respect for again taking this on their shoulders.

I keep thinking, that in the sense of international politics, it’s very similar to when Kessinger asked Sadat to “stir” things up in the ‘73 so that peace talks can start.
I remember maybe it was Muzaffar al-Nawwab who said back then..

It’s not analysis, its just feelings, that come with the nausea and sickness of seeing israeli bombers destroy lebanon yet again.

Lebanon, the smallest country in the middle east, yet the one who played THE biggest role in the Israeli conflict, the country on which its 10.000km saw three wars until now. and 2 invasions.

The hearts and minds of all syrians flow there.
For the coverage of Syrian Bloggers, check, Syria Planet, Ammar’s Blog.

A note for the commenters,
No comment will be deleted, but if ur expecting a reply, make ur comment worthy of one.

This is it…

It’s not Hizbulla anymore, its not Lebanon,
Its a full scale Middle East War.

This will go down in History as the 2006 War.

I’m checking the news on every second, waiting for when these bastards will start hitting syria, and how we can response, if we do can.

I cant imagine Damascus being bombed, its not an image I can take, its not a feeling that I can bear.

The commenters were right, it wasnt the time to point the finger, now it’s time to fight back. that’s it, it’s war.

This is shit.

Lebanon is being utterly destroyed.

Israel is enjoying their toys in Lebanon.

EVERYONE, The US, France, EVEN Lebanon, thinks that Israeli bombers should go to Damascus instead of Beirut.

At some point, Hizbulla will run out of rockets. And all that’s left, is a lebanon in ruins. and a Middle East that has no chance to be a part of this world.

Blood-suckers.

What’s worse,

Those who ENJOY slaughtering people.

Or,

Those who sacrifice whole countries, their own countries, for their own narrow mindedness and authoritarian craziness.

لبيروت… مجد من رماد لبيروت
من دم لولد حمل فوق يدها
أطفأت مدينتي قندبلها
أغلقت بابها
أصبجت في المسا وحدها
وحدها والليل