The Suez Canal is back in the spotlight thanks to the Ever Given. When the Japanese-owned container ship, as long as the Empire State Building is high, found itself lodged in the waterway for almost a week, it dealt a severe blow to global commerce. Particularly between Europe and Asia. Twelve percent of maritime trade passes each year through this ‘strip’ of water that lies in the middle of Egypt. The Canal also represents the fastest transport route for oil supplies. Yet we had all grown complacent and taken it for granted. Until, that is, disaster struck.
Unfortunately, this is a story repeated throughout the Middle East.
The region is home to a hotbed of geo-strategic power plays. The Gulf countries are hellbent on vying for the position of neighbourhood top dog and beyond. Then there is the Saudi-Iran proxy war. Not to forget Israel, which, despite concluding peace agreements with several Arab nations, still remains something of an anomaly. Yet it is not alone. For Lebanon also enjoys a unique identity within the Middle East. It is one of the smallest countries in Asia (by land mass) and has a population of just 6.83 million. It is also home to the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, including 1.5 million from Syria.
Lebanon is the only Arab nation that holds democratic elections. It is therefore neither beholden to religious governments nor kingdom diktats. In fact, the country boasts a multi-religious and -cultural identity along with a relatively young population that has access to good universities
Lebanon is known for its turbulent past. Plagued by civil war from 1975-1990, it now faces an uncertain future. The country has been without a government for the last seven months, after the previous administration resigned amid mounting public anger over last August’s Beirut port explosion. It is also hurtling towards financial collapse. Nevertheless, Lebanon holds immense geo-strategic importance.
Why?
Simply put, Lebanon is the only Arab nation that holds democratic elections. It is therefore neither beholden to religious governments nor kingdom diktats. In fact, the country boasts a multi-religious and -cultural identity along with a relatively young population that has access to good universities. Lebanon is open to the rest of the world and its sizeable diaspora is considered one of the country’s largest assets; now so more than ever. Thus Lebanon is keenly placed to act as a springboard for western investment in the region, including the reconstruction of Syria.
This, after all, is the land of the Phoenicians, those great maritime traders of the ancient Mediterranean who laid the foundations for the roots of the alphabet. Being skilled sailors and shipbuilders, they learned how to harness the power of the North Star to navigate the hight seas. Indeed, the Phoenicians were the first to travel extensively around the Mediterranean and set up trade routes — all centuries before the Suez Canal was ever envisaged. Today’s Lebanon is still home to merchants, a strong business class, artists, engineers and creative professionals. The diaspora contributes to the intellectual discourse and provides much-needed capital by way of remittances. The EU’s €1.5 billion investment package, pledged in 2018 (over a three-year period) was a step in the right direction; although it was dependent upon the country’s fiscal health. More needs to be done. Much more.
The time has come to help Lebanon get back on its feet. There is much potential to unlock, including an educated class fluent in Arab, French and English. The citizenry is literally clamouring for change. The top priority is a secular country that takes its rightful place on the world stage. This means letting go of the old political elite and embracing a free and democratic country, where one can go swimming in the sea and skiing in the mountains on the same day. Lebanon has what it takes to be a regional hub for finance, tourism, creativity, media, culture, education and thriving agro-food systems. The latter is extremely viable given that the Bekaa Valley is the country’s most fertile farming region. Aside from producing wine for thousands of years, the area also showcases one of the most important ruins from the Roman Empire. The two-thousand-year-old Temple of Jupiter, in the city of Baalbek, sits atop 3,000-tonne stone blocks and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.
If the West, most notably the EU countries, through sheer inaction, end up wiping Lebanon off the geo-strategic map — it will not be Lebanon’s loss alone. Gone, too, will be the unique opportunity to transform the country into an outpost of Middle Eastern democracy. If this happens, the window for meaningful engagement between Europe and Asia will close. Then, the entire world will feel the chill. Just as it did when the Suez Canal was blocked. The only difference being that the ramifications will be felt for generations.
The writer is an Italian-based journalist of Lebanese origin. He is founder and director of Startupbusiness magazine. He tweets @emilabirascid