Gabriel Al-Amin

Gabriel Al-Amin (Arabic: ØºØ§Ø¨Ø±ÙŠÙŠÙ„ Ø§Ù„Ø§Ù…ÙŠÙ†, born May 19, 1964) is a Lebanese columnist. He was born to a Greek Orthodox family in Tripoli (Arabic: Ø·Ø±Ø§Ø¨Ù„Ø³), which is the second largest city in Lebanon after Beirut. When Al-Amin was five years old he moved with his parents to Beirut. They lived in the Manara neighborhood, a predominantly Christian area. During the Lebanese Civil War, Gabriel and his parents relocated again, this time to Nicosia, Cyprus. They returned to their home in Manara in 1989, towards the end of the civil war.

Studies

He specializes in Middle East affairs in Lebanon and abroad. He holds a bachelors in International Relations and a masters degree in Middle East Relations from Oxford University. Al-Amin wrote articles and gave lectures in Lebanon, Europe, and abroad. Al-Amin opposes the pro-Syrian party, and claims Syria to be meddling in Lebanese affairs, also through a wave of assassinations.

2006 Israel Lebanon War

During 2006 Lebanon War (Arabic: ØØ±Ø¨ ØªÙ…ÙˆØ² arahb TammÅ«z) Al-Amin and his family again fled to Cyprus. This war which took a heavy toll on Lebanon, many of the Christian also fled. Al-Amin's father, George Al-Amin, who's flight was scheduled to Cyprus one day later, didn't make it because Israel bombed the airway in the Beirut airport, and therefore he resided in a shelter in Beirut.

Towards the end of the war Gabriel Al-Amin published an article titled "Why Hizbollah Lost the War in Lebanon and the Current 'Present' Situation in Southern Lebanon ." His article was highly publicized in six different newspapers in Lebanon and abroad . He was interviewed by Lebanese television and other foreign news agencies .

In the article Gabriel claims that evidence proves that Hizbollah lost the war and is dettered from attacking Israel ever again. He also claims "that before and even during the conflict, Hezbollah said it would never agree to allow either the Lebanese army nor international monitors to patrol southern Lebanon, and it has. Hezbollah lost its kingdom in Southern Lebanon to UNIFL and Lebanese Army." He also claims that Israel killed up over 600 Hizbollah fighters, and the only reason Israel agreed to the cease-fire was because they were offered a golden opportunity of a life time. He also claims that "Israel badly miscalculated Hizbollah, because in a 2004 Israeli study it was estimated 100 Israeli civilians would be killed a day by the Katyusha fire as well as 70 Israeli soldiers per day if Israel was to engage in a ground operation. And that wasn't the case, the casualties were MUCH less!" In regards to the Katyushas he claims "they are inaccurate and only cause noise and break windows". He also claims that destroying a guerrilla group is against the laws of physics.

Al-Amin's strongest argument was that "Israel was defeated internally but not militarily, in-fact Hizbollah was the one who was defeated militarily by Israel". In addition to the fact that "the Winograd Commission also proves an internal defeat but not a military defeat, and if a Winograd Commission would be done in Lebanon, Lebanon would crumble to dust". He also makes a point, in which "since the end of hostilities, Hizbollah hasn't even once, dared to throw a pebble nor to shoot a pellet at Israel" and goes on to say "the Zionist regime still controls the skies over Lebanon". He claims that Hizbollah was nothing compared to the "brave" Syrian and Egyptian Armies who fought against Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He ends his article by saying: "Since the 'moment' the two soldiers were kidnapped and even during the war, Israel knew, they would not succeed in getting them back, in addition to the fact that destroying a guerrilla group is against the laws of physics! Once people will get those two facts into their heads, then THEY will realize that, the outcomes that were achieved as a result of this conflict, were the best possible "REALISTIC" outcomes that Israel could have achieved. Obviously this past year, the Northern Israeli border has been the quietest it has ever been over the past 40 years". .

Stance on Middle East Conflict

Al-Amin perceives the Arab Israeli conflict as complex, and both sides must come to an agreement. During various lectures in Beirut and England Al-Amin claimed that "Israel has a right to exist, but cannot continue to exist until it finds a solution to the Palestinians, occupation isn't the answer. The only solution is a two state solution between both sides." During the lecture he also claimed "I see a viable peace on the horizon with the Jewish State living side by side in peace with other moderate Arab states, especially Lebanon." He also claimed "No peace can be achieved while religious extremists are in the picture but on the same token the Israeli occupation and illegal settlements must end."

Assassination Attempt

Al-Amin received a number of credible death threats, due to his stance towards Syria and especially Hizbollah, which made necessary to adopt protection measures such as a bodyguard during lectures. In January 2006 Lebanese police officers, during a routine check, discovered and defused an abandoned car filled with explosives, on the route that Al-Amin would take to work. A second assassination attempt took place on April 18, 2007 as Al-Amin was traveling in the Christian suburbs of Beirut. A car rammed into his vehicle: Al-Amin, his driver, and personal bodyguard managed to flee and drive away with minor damages. The other vehicle was later found abandoned and filled with explosives and small arms. No arrests were made, but Lebanese authorities believe it was another attempt on Al-Amin's life. Al-Amin believes it was Syrian and Hizbollah agents. That year a string of bombings attacks occurred, targeting Lebanon's Christian community in Beirut.

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