Image: A Christian Militia on Patrol along the Lebanese border in 1977 during the Lebanese Civil War. Attribution: Dan Hadani/Wikimedia Commons
By Robert Nicholson on March 20, 2025. Link to the full article: Dreaming the Dream of a Free Lebanon – Providence
The last time I saw Fawaz Najim alive was in Galilee, not far from St. Paul’s parents’ hometown. The first time I saw him was outside his apartment building in Israel’s northernmost city of Metula which abuts the Lebanese border. Fawaz was waiting outside in a t-shirt and orange Crocs, leisurely smoking a cigarette by the curb when we pulled up. Passersby might have figured him for a mechanic, but I knew better.
I was thinking of Fawaz as I watched Israel’s war with Hezbollah unfold last fall. I wondered what he’d say about “Operation Grim Beeper,” the death of Hassan Nasrallah, and the election of a new Maronite president. I had a feeling he’d be pleased, but also knew that any victory without Qlayaa would disappoint him.
The future of Lebanon in this new chapter is uncertain. There are good signs and bad. The idea of peace between Lebanon and Israel, like the legacy of Israel’s cooperation with the Maronites, remains controversial to say the least. In Lebanon, the mere suggestion of peace can land you in jail or worse. But with the 25th anniversary of Israel’s pullout approaching, the story of the SLA and its fighters deserves closer attention. So, too, does the dream of a free Lebanon, which Israel’s victory over Hezbollah makes possible again. Thousands of men like Fawaz—Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Druze—gave their best years in service of that dream. Many gave their lives. It’s high time we remember them
