Like the people of Gaza, Lebanon feels powerless and hostage to an armed militia that could drag it into a destructive war it does not want and for objectives that go beyond its borders.

With the political impasse in Lebanon and the economic collapse resulting from it comes a heated debate, mainly among Christians in the country, regarding proposals for a federal alternative to the current system.

Why does the US make deals with its enemies and abandon its friends? The answer may lie in the fable of “The Wolf and The Lamb,” in which a big bad wolf wants to devour an innocent little lamb. Such stories have been around for centuries and are deeply ingrained in our culture.

Iraqis were not exactly dancing in the streets after last week’s elections, but it looks very much as if a healthy democratic process has produced the best possible outcome — one that leaves most players slightly dissatisfied.

The murder of Lebanese cultural entrepreneur and political activist Lokman Slim this month has led to a resurgence of the kind of demands for accountability and “the truth” that protesters in Beirut called for in 2005 following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.