Dear O Lebanon,
April 11, 2026
This past Fall, I had the opportunity to visit Lebanon after almost two decades of absence. I had forgotten how truly breath-taking this country is. Its shimmering coastline, its green valleys and its majestic mountains. Ancient churches and remnants of civilizations past on every corner. And its people, the warmest and most ingenious I have ever seen. Their hustle and their love of life is simply unmatched.
You'd think you had landed in paradise, except for the random airstrikes and the constant buzz of the surveillance drones overhead. Sadly, as I came to learn, that had become the reality of life for the people of Lebanon under the "ceasefire" of November 2024.
The war of terror that Israel unleashed on Lebanon under the guise of fighting "Khizballah" reached a crescendo on April 8, 2026. On that day, 50 planes dropped 160 bombs on Beirut, the Bekaa, and the South within the span of 10 minutes during rush hour. To put this into perspective, imagine 160 bombs dropped on an area roughly the size of Greater Boston during the afternoon commute.
These numbers, horrifying as they are, do not begin to adequately convey the depravity of this crime. The hundreds of innocent lives-357 and rising-extinguished with impunity.
They do not tell you about the award-winning poet, killed alongside her life companion in the sanctity of their home. Her voice forever silenced.
They do not tell you about the gentle old soul, murdered on the street along with the eight stray neighborhood dogs he used to care for. His light forever dimmed.
They do not tell you about the family of five, a mother and her four young children, wiped off the face of the earth in a flash. Their bloodline forever exterminated.
They do not tell you about the bereaved father who, three days later, continues to search the ruins of his collapsed building desperately looking for signs of his daughter under the rubble. His heart forever shattered.
Yes, Lebanon is caught between bigger players in a regional war. And yes, Lebanon has for too long been the playground where proxy battles are fought. But beyond that, what we are witnessing today is a war between evil and good-and to be clear, Hizballah is not the good. The evil is that which kills, maims and lies with impunity in the morning, while demanding to be treated with civility that same afternoon. As if the mere presence of an adversary whitewashes the crimes that they commit.
What prevails in this war will define the world for generations to come. We must not let evil win. We must not let darkness take hold.
My first message is for the good people of Israel: I see you. The same brutal regime that is killing your fellow humans across the border is working hard to silence you. Your voice must rise much stronger. Without you, there is no hope for peace in the region. Only never-ending wars and eternal darkness.
My second message is for the good people of the world: There is no more room for ambiguity, no more room for sitting on the sidelines. The gratuitous killing of humans elsewhere going unpunished cheapens human life everywhere. The deliberate destruction of people's homes, villages, and livelihoods going unchallenged destroys the very essence of human existence. The normalizing of mass surveillance, coercive manipulation, and collective punishment of an entire population sets up irreversible precedents.
Make no mistake, the same darkness that is enveloping the Middle East is coming for you. Wake up. Remember the values and principles that allowed humanity to advance. And demand that they be applied everywhere, for if they don't apply elsewhere, one day they won't apply for you.
My final message is for the good people of Lebanon: My heart breaks for you. Your continued suffering. Your dashed dreams for a better tomorrow. Your perseverance through a never-ending nightmare. But you cannot give up in the face of evil. For if you give up, what hope is left for the world?