Daizy Gedeon, Award-Winning Filmmaker & Journalist: ‘Hands Off Lebanon’ – Support for Flag, Army, People, and Country
December 2, 2024I’m extremely grateful for everyone who attended the Sydney Vigil as part of a global diaspora campaign to call for #HANDSOFFLEBANON !
Lebanon has time after time been at the mercy of surrounding states.
When will Lebanon be left alone?!
But throughout it all, the show of unity amongst all Lebanese is heartwarming.
“We are and will always be one country, one army, one people, one flag, one Lebanon.”
#handsofflebanon
@ozarabmedia
English Script:
Daizy Gedeon: I’ve been an active member of the Australian Lebanese community for more than 40 years, advocating for Lebanon since the late 1980s. During the civil war, the years of Syrian occupation, against the corruption that has brought our country to its knees, the August 4 port blast and more recently, opposing the Israeli aggression against both Palestine and Lebanon. But today we come together not to shout, not to scream, not to fight, not to argue. We come in peace and solemnity to pray, to pray for our people who have been killed and are suffering intolerable hardship from an evil and dark force that threatens our very existence. Yes, our hearts are breaking. Yes, our eyes are weeping. Yes, we are in disbelief at the horrors we are witnessing and being inflicted upon our country. The murder and slaughter of our people, the destruction of homes, of cities and villages and our ancient monuments. Beautiful Beirut is littered with rubble and ashes, and the tortured souls of yet again, more of our citizens. Our people have still not recovered or overcome the tragedy of the August 4 blast. We have not healed from more than 220 civilians who lost their lives in that disaster. And yet, here we find ourselves again, ravaged by destruction and death. Yes, our spirit is despondent by all that we are beholding, but we are not beaten. And today, thousands of our countrymen and women are standing together around the world in solidarity to show the world that we will not allow our homeland, our country, our parents, our grandparents, the land of our forefathers and ancestors be taken, be demolished or stolen from us. We, the Australian Lebanese diaspora, who are part of a 16 million strong global diaspora, stand together to firmly and clearly and determinedly tell all those enemies who would try to banish us from our homes and homeland and steal our sovereignty, Hands Off Lebanon. Today, the greatest threat to our independence, to our future, to our freedom, is the rogue and pariah state of Israel, a state whose leader, Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were only a few days ago the subject of International Criminal Court arrest warrants. The world’s highest court has finally, officially accused them of war crimes and crimes against humanity, for their role in the genocide perpetrated against the Palestinians for the past 14 months, the same despicable methods of war have been implemented against our people in Lebanon for the past nearly three months. Finally, although far too late, the world is seeing and beginning to take action against this Zionist entity that has brought the world to the brink of World War Three and has caused us all to question the very values of justice, humanity, equality, trust, and so much more that we hold so sacred. Finally, after witnessing the unjustifiable horrors the Israeli Defense Forces are committing against innocent adults and children, the war crimes, the atrocities, the rights and violations of every international humanitarian law. The world is distancing itself from Israel’s malicious and unconscionable acts of terror and beginning to hold the Zionist state accountable. And I want to take a moment to acknowledge and applaud the Australian government, which last week in the United Nations bravely distanced itself from its so-called ally, the United States, and rightly, justly, fairly and humanely voted in favor of recognizing the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinians over the occupied territories and of the Arabs over the Golan Heights. We also welcome the Australian Government’s decision to change its position, and to vote in favor of blaming Israel for the historic oil slick that dangerously affected Lebanon’s Mediterranean, precious Mediterranean coastline during the 2006 second Lebanon Israel War. Thank you again. Yes, these are moves in the right direction, but they took far too long and have not gone nearly enough to end Israel’s reign of terror against both the Palestinians and the Lebanese. I’m so proud to be part of the Lebanese diaspora in Australia and around the world, who have taken this unprecedented step to stand united globally for the first time under one clear message to Israel, to America, to the world, and to every other foreign enemy that tries to destroy, disrupt and occupy our country. Hands off Lebanon. We are and will always be one country, one army, one people, one flag, one Lebanon. Thank you. Thank you.
