Today, the online national newsmagazine rabble.ca published a photo essay retrospective from my time reporting during the 2006 Lebanon-Israel war. It’s been five years – and with the Arab Spring drawing the world’s attention to hopeful changes afoot in the region, Lebanon is so often left out of the equation. I investigated what is actually happening in that country, and how Lebanese organizers are responding to the winds of change, in Briarpatch magazine’s newest issue.
It is impossible to underestimate the impact the 2006 Israeli invasion on Lebanese politics – mostly, I argue, a destabilizing one, but also one which opened much of the world’s eyes to Israel’s actions. Many people became politicized from what they saw. It truly transformed my life, my vision, my understanding of justice.
I hope you enjoy the rabble.ca article, and also the additional photographs below which didn’t make it into the photo essay.
Additional photographs from the 2006 Lebanon war:
- As Israel imposed a naval blockade of Lebanon during the war, US, French and other warships and aircraft carriers were visible on the horizon – standing by to evacuate citizens and maintain a presence. However, many criticized their reluctance to criticize what they saw as Israel’s collective punishment of the Lebanese people. Photo: David P Ball
Hundreds of thousands of refugees, including these children, flooded into Beirut’s Hamra district as more and more neighbourhoods were flattened by Israeli airstrikes. They slept in parks, schools and mosques. Photo: David P. Ball
Still scarred from decades of civil war, Beirut’s southern suburbs were among the hardest hit by the airstrikes. The carnage – entire residential neighbourhoods turned to rubble - was even visible from space. Photo: David P. Ball
Lebanese children seek shelter in their family’s home and flag-selling shop. During the 2006 war, almost no region of the country was safe from attack, with Israel destroying key infrastructures such as bridges, roads, airports, ports, schools, and hospitals, as well as 15,000 houses. Photo: David P. Ball
Canada evacuated 14,000 people from Lebanon, albeit reluctantly, after several weeks. Many of the evacuees held dual citizenship (there are 40,000 Lebanese-Canadians in the country), but mainstream media outlets expressed outrage at them for costing Canada $85 million, despite being entitled to protection as citizens. Photo: David P. Ball
Canadians were evacuated to Montreal, where demonstrations raged both for and against Israel. A small group of pro-Israeli protesters shout at an anti-war vigil outside the Israeli consulate; one of their signs read, “Palestinians are terrorists.” Photo: David P. Ball
Tens of thousands protested in Montreal and across Canada against the 33-day war on Lebanon, many with signs depicting civilians killed in airstrikes. Photo: David P. Ball
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