PostGlobal encourages readers in Lebanon and Israel to share with us their first-hand impressions of the war raging around them. We also have been scouring the Web and contacting bloggers, who provide more tales from the front. Their responses are powerful, but don't take our word for it. Read on to learn what daily life has become for young students and professionals living under a canopy of missile fire.
In War Reports from Readers, both Israeli and Lebanese writers describe their suddenly highlighted presence on the world stage, and their roles as witnesses to the war, as surreal.
One student marveled at the shift of "going from having drinks with your friends in trendy bars, to seeking shelter from heavy bombardment."
"I feel disconnected from reality as though I'm living in a dream. The guy who jumped the red light scared me more than the rockets did," another reader told us from Beirut. During the bombing, readers there report a "schizophrenia" on the ground: Some hit balls on a tennis court, while others duck for cover across town.
Some of our readers, such as Israeli businessman Bob Rosenschein, form big-picture political views, even as they deal with day-to-day disruptions. Rosenschein bemoaned Hezbollah's use of "human shields" in Lebanon, and called on America to support Israel's battle:
Do not assume the oceans offer protection. Iran is behind Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria and, of course, the insurgents in Iraq. If Iran gets nuclear bombs, do you want to believe they won't sponsor a radical Islamic group to eradicate American cities?
A Lebanese writer and cultural critic based in Beirut, Rasha, shared with us her personal interaction with the militant group, decribing an appointment with a Hezbollah spokesman:
...A small rotund man, dressed in a track suit, fancy sunglasses, and two-day-old stubble carrying two state-of-the-art cell phones. He spoke in concise sound bytes and was affable. There was nothing menacing about his demeanor, in fact were it not for the destruction around him he looked more like he would be an assistant to Scolari than part of the media team of a "terrorist organization."
Meanwhile, two foreigners studying in Beirut -- an American, Hugh Naylor, and a Swede, Anders Hardig -- wrestled with their guilt over evacuating. Hardig wrote in:
How ironic that the efforts to actually save people can make me so depressed. I guess it is because there is no sign of either Hezbollah or Israel backing down from their original demands for accepting a cease-fire. It feels like a clearing of the field before the final showdown. Like in the old Western movies, where the main street would clear out at high noon, people scurrying off to safety just in time before the final shootout.
Hardig evacuated. Naylor "realized that the untold stories behind this conflict ... must be heard" and stayed behind.
"I quickly grabbed my bags, thanked the Marines for their hard work, and hopped into a cab headed for Beirut," Naylor told us with regard to the U.S. government's effort to get him out of the country.
Readers' contributions to PostGlobal speak to the personal hardship and inner conflict precipitated by the fighting. Israeli and Lebanese posts bear a strikingly similar tone. They connote hope and misgivings, reflect political and personal views, and, we hope, encourage communication and resolution.
As the war continues, we turn to our contacts in the blogosphere. In Lebanon, http://lebop.blogspot.com/ examines the lives of the displaced. A Ph.D. student analyzes foreign policy between Syria and Lebanon. David, in Haifa, considers his city's history in the context of rocket fire. A 17-year-old Israeli reports from his new home -- a bunker.
Both The Washington Post and the New York Times have run stories on citizen media in Lebanon and Israel. Blogs and videos on YouTube provide new venues to understand conflict. Jeff Morley's blog highlights other online sources providing local insights into the conflict. We will feature bloggers in our Editor's Inbox over the coming weeks.
Please comment below to tell us which blogs you'd like to see featured, or e-mail other suggestions to postglobal@washingtonpost.com.
Please e-mail PostGlobal if you'd like to receive an email notification when PostGlobal sends out a new question.
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