Background

Yāssīn Jābar was the Lebanese Minister of Economics in 1996. Now he is a member of parliament representing the district of Nabṭiyya. His platform is liberal in its political slant, with an emphasis on Human Rights.

Side A

In April 1996, the south of Lebanon was attacked by Israel during  Operation: Grapes of Wrath.  Yāssīn Jābar’s hometown of Nabṭiyya was hit especially hard by these attacks. In an interview later in 1996, Jābar referred again to this situation and its consequences. Nabṭiyya is still at the front lines of the conflict, and the south of Lebanon is occupied by Israeli soldiers. But Jābar reports positively about the work of the Lebanese government in building and rebuilding infrastructures like schools and hospitals. Apart from the infrastructural damages, agriculture is also affected by the conflict, resulting in reduced food production. Nevertheless, the Lebanese people try to continue their lives while dealing with the Israeli occupation on a day to day basis. The regular patrols made by Israeli soldiers puts a lot of psychological pressure on the civilian population which still hold the April attacks fresh in mind. As one can notice from this description, the situation has not yet been resolved, and peace is only possible under certain conditions. Jābar wants Israel to stop the occupation of Lebanon and reduce the economic pressure that they put on the country. Furthermore, he wants Israel to ends its aggressive behavior towards, and occupation of its neighboring states. Jābar states that this is a necessity for creating a sustainable peace in the Middle East. In Jābar’s opinion, the situation in Lebanon is stable at this moment, as it does not have any internal conflicts, and possesses an army which is able to secure the international borders of the Lebanese State. When asked for his opinion on Ḥizbullāh, which had been fighting back against Israel in the previous months,Jābar did  not want to give them any specific insight into this conflict.

Side B

In his function as Minister of Economics, Jābar has plans to make Lebanon more attractive for investments. He wants to create free trade zones in the country, and pointed out that recently, the Lebanese tax law for companies was changed. Additionally, job training is needed for many Lebanese workers in order to grow the economy. A strong Lebanese economy which is able to compete with Israel’s is only possible if there is stability and peace in the country. The outlook for the upcoming years is a positive one in Jābar’s opinion. He is convinced that Lebanese people have learned that they need to live together as Sunnis, Shiites and Christians. The upcoming parliamentary elections, in which Jābar is a candidate for the district of Nabṭiyya, should bring the needed stability.

Refugees from Qānā (which was also attacked in April) living in a camp were also interviewed. The refugees do not trust Lebanese politicians such as Yāssīn Jābar. In their interviews, they maintain that they never leave their land and homes. Even people who do not like the politics of Ḥizbullāh support them in defending the south of the country. They accuse Israel of committing crimes against humanity and even compare the situation to the Holocaust. Moreover, they are disappointed with the United Nations which does not condemn Israel for any of their acts.