Protesters in Beirut Demand Action from Arab Leaders on Gaza, Focusing on Egypt as Demonstrations Rise (VIDEO)

Millions across the Arab world are demonstrating, demanding that Arab governments do more to support Palestinians trapped in Gaza. The growing gap between public policy and public opinion in the Arab world highlights the lack of democracy in the Arab world.

Just hours before Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Beirut to expresss their solidarity with Palestinians. Lebanese and Palestinian youth have demonstrated in front of the Arab League building, UN and Egyptian Embassy here in Beirut. Take a look below.

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Comments

[Michale32086]

@SiberianRat

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Man, your b/w stance (i.e., refusal to look at this in a wider context and see the immense complexity of the situation) and lack of compassion for Gazans freaks me out.
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I have sincere compassion for the Gazans.. They ARE the true victims in all this.

But they are being victimized by Hamas, not by Israel... It IS very black/white...

Michale.....

[MagisterLudi]

Millions across the Arab world are demonstrating, demanding that Arab governments do more to support Palestinians trapped in Gaza
How about an easier job. Do more for hunders of thousands of Palestinians daily opressed by the government of Lebanon and Hezbollah. Funny no one EVER maraches about that.

According to the United Nations: "All 12 official refugee camps in the Lebanon Field suffer from serious problems - no proper infrastructure, overcrowding, poverty and unemployment. Lebanon has the highest percentage of Palestine refugees who are living in abject poverty. Palestine refugees in Lebanon face specific problems. They do not have social and civil rights, and have very limited access to the government's public health or educational facilities and no access to public social services. Considered as foreigners, Palestine refugees are prohibited by law from working in more than 70 trades and professions. No inheritance rights. No property ownership rights. P-nians who try to use a public hospital are refused services, even in emergency.

" http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/lebanon.html

[MagisterLudi]

"hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Beirut to express their solidarity with Palestinians"

This one requires a jaw dropping double take. What hypocrites.

How for inconvenient truths:
P-nians are deprived of almost all human and civil rights in Lebanon. And face severe discrimination in almost all aspect of life. By Lebanese law. Supported by self-titled defenders of Palestinian rights-- Hezbollah ( in speeches anyway):
Also: not allowed to work in many jobs in Lebanon like public services,schools, hospitals and ports. Serious discrimination in wages..
Public hospitals in Lebanon refuse to treat Palestinians. No health insurance.
P-nians are not allowed to receive a pension, or severance pay .
P-nians are prohibited by Lebanese law from owning any kind of real estate: land, a house, an apartment or a field.
No public education.
No public assistance of any kind. No voting rights, ever.
The list goes on.

Yet they DARE to protest.... Typical.

[SiberianRat]

Good comment--and true. I've personally seen these places in Lebanon--terrible. The ones in Jordan are only slightly better.

[lebaneseliberal]

Those camps are in bad shape. There is no doubt in that. I don't think any Lebanese would argue that.

But the problem with the camps is not that easy to fix. It is not black and white. No magic wand can set things straight.

Before you look to any UN report about the camps you need to understand the situation in Lebanon at every level. The demography, the economy, the culture and most importantly the history.(more than glad to get into this if you want)

Just to be clear, the Palestinians harmed us, the Lebanese people, as much as the Israelis did.

I'll tell you, as a Lebanese, those camps are a problem with no solution. Again the problem is very deep. And all what you have suggested will mean the end of Lebanon if it was to happen.

[MagisterLudi]

Lebanese liberal. I absolutely agree with you.
Palestinians were ( are) a serious threat to Lebanese independence. Just as Syrians. And Israelis,. And Hezbollah.
This is what happens in the Middle East when a country doesn't have strong sovereign military.
Lebanon doesn't wish to become like Jordan, a majority Palestinians state. Especially Lebanese Christians. This is understandable.
But there are probably ways to improve Palestinian conditions without granting them citizenship. Maybe some talented Palestinians can be granted citizenship based on achievements. For instance, kids who are naturally gifted in math, physics art music etc.

[zaheddec]

I think the time has come for Arab leadership to seriously consider on humanitarian grounds. Otherwise I predict that they will loose the power and things will be entirely different in the region.

[MagisterLudi]

Horrible conditions of Palestinians in Lebanon-- no protests are held.
Horrible conditions of Palestinians in Gaza-- Arab world erupts in righteous indignation.

Palestinians ethnically cleansed from Kuwait and other Gulf States following their support of Hussein during Iraqi invasion-- no protests. The world doesn't notice.

Jordan annexed West Bank and Jerusalem -- Arabic press NEVER mentions it. EVER.
Egypt annexed Gaza--Arab press NEVER mentions this. EVER.

PLO was terrorising Lebanon--no protests on Arab streets.
Israel evicts PLO from Lebanon-- Arab world erupts in righteous indignation.
Syrians terrorizing Lebanon and controls it with an iron fist--zero protest in Arab press.

Hezbollah invades Israel and kills and kidnaps soldiers-- Arab street is quiet.
Israel invades for punish Hezbollah --Arab world erupts in righteous indignation.
Facts

[Michale32086]

If everyone really and truly wants to support the Palestinian people, they need to roundly and loudly condemn Hamas.

Hamas is the SOLE cause for all the grief in Gaza...

Michale.....

[SiberianRat]

Man, your b/w stance (i.e., refusal to look at this in a wider context and see the immense complexity of the situation) and lack of compassion for Gazans freaks me out.

[rocketman69]

What's so complex?

[MagisterLudi]

Some points:
Hamas and other terror groups are intimately tied into the social fabric of Gaza. Due to:propaganda, children brainwashing, social works.
Most of the Gazans CHOSE Hamas knowing this means war.
There is no other way to fight Hamas and other terror organizations outside of Gaza. Hamas cannot fight in a traditional field of battle. They know they'll lose. Therefore, they fight from behind women and children and inside their own mosques.
One can feel compassion for common Gazans (. But at the same time to continue to teach Hamas, and those who support them, a lesson in humility. In another words teach them that truce is better than war.

[Faw-zia]

great footage. it's incredible how much smarter and more humane these people sound than the politicians and talking heads, who have abstracted the situation to a political game of misrepresentation, decontextualization, and dehumanization...