(As appeared in the Jerusalem Post on June 8, 2001)

As a Lebanese who survived the hard times of the last 25 years, and saw and is still seeing his country turning into a wasteland, I know the meaning of doing the right thing at the right time. 

We had our chances in 1982 and we blew them, but a new school of political thought is shaping itself, and the hope of regaining our rightful place in the Middle East is being rejuvenated. 

It is in this context that I address the people of Israel and the national unity government in a sincere and truthful manner, without claiming to own the whole truth and total knowledge. 

First of all, I believe that a strong and democratic state in Israel is a must to insure the stability of the region, even though the forces of evil consider this treason and blasphemy. But the fact that they have nothing to offer but destruction and bloodshed makes their opinion trivial.  

Let there be no compromise with these people: we know them well. 

Starting with the Palestinian Authority, with Yasser Arafat at its command, this is the same gang that destroyed Lebanon in a ravaging war that we are still enduring today at the hands of the Syrian regime. 

Arafat is a pathological liar; we signed 72 ceasefires with him in a span of 18 months in 1975-1976, and he broke each and every one of them, whenever he felt that the balance of power was shifting to his advantage. 

To refresh the memory, he is quoted to have said: "I am ready to kill for the sake of my cause; wouldn't I lie for it?"

That's the same man you are dealing with today, who plunged his people, and everyone else, into death in Jordan, Lebanon and now Gaza and the West Bank through Israel itself. 

In Lebanon, we listened carefully to the Mitchell Report's recommendations, but what that report missed in great part was the reason behind the current violence; the report should have been an anatomy of the so-called "intifada." 

To us, the reason for the violence is Arafat's rhetoric aimed at the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as capital, and the total dismantlement of all Jewish settlements beyond the June 4, 1967, line. 

Now, our friend based his whole public image among Arabs and Muslims on these two demands, which he knew very well that he could not achieve completely. Despite all this, the government of Ehud Barak was very pliant in its negotiations, and even discussed the possibility of sharing sovereignty in certain sectors of Jerusalem, and considered relinquishing about 95% of the West Bank and Gaza. 

Arafat's response was intensifying violence, and setting free all Hamas and Islamic Jihad detainees from jail, in what is known in Arabic as a policy of "running forward," meaning to hide a problem by creating a new one, in this case the "Aksa intifada." 

The question of Lebanon and Syria is actually one problem. It is no secret anymore that Syria is the sole maestro of all events happening in Lebanon, from government decisions to Hizbullah attacks across the border. 

Actually, Israel holds a large share of the responsibility, not because you do not want to kick the Syrians out (which is our job as Lebanese), but by encouraging the former Assad regime on many occasions, by giving him a free hand in Lebanese matters and sending friendly signals during the last two decades. 

Hafez Assad was a first-class politician, a regional leader, a man who kept his word - but he belongs in the hall of fame of the greatest butchers of the 20th century, alongside Hitler, Stalin and a few others. 

Hafez Assad never planned to sign a peace treaty with Israel, despite what he used to repeat publicly. We were sure of it, and we even bet on it. 

He was fascinated by Saladin, the liberator of Jerusalem, and he would spend hours talking to his guests about this great figure who defeated the outsiders, those who dared establish their state on Moslem land. 

His son, President Bashar Assad, would never accept what his father refused; his intentions were clear in the speech he gave in the presence of the pope at Damascus Airport. 

The Turkish experience with Syria regarding the PKK should be an example for dealing with these people, whose concept of international relations is based on balance of power. 

The regime's weak spot is Lebanon, and the policy of retaliating against Syrian targets is actually destabilizing the image Syria patiently created - that its presence is a necessity to Lebanon. In fact, Syria represents a curse to our small country. 

We salute your government and we give thanks to Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer for his clear and accurate statements regarding Lebanon (he's a true son of the region), and to all who share his opinions. 

This is the right way to do it and we modestly advise the following: 

* Never retreat from Sheba Farms. A new issue will immediately emerge. (Has anyone in Israel heard about "the seven villages?") You will hear about it as soon as you give Sheba away. 

* Do not give conflicting statements about your policy towards Lebanon and Syria: Be firm and to the point. Otherwise, your resolve will appear weak. 

* Never bargain with Syria over Lebanon; it will be a fatal mistake, and not only for us. It will give your enemies everywhere a taste of victory and the idea of destroying the Jewish state will gain a momentum never before achieved. 

Nabil Khalifeh is a political activist living in Beirut.

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