Lebanon (MNN) — Lebanon’s military says it needs another four months to disarm Hezbollah. The government faces mounting pressure to disarm the terrorist group, as Israel launches raids and near-daily airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, protests broke out in Beirut earlier this week over a new gas tax designed to benefit government employees. Elio Constantine of Heart for Lebanon says the two events are connected.
Lebanon’s government is “again raising the wages of the public sector employees without having any backing,” Constantine says.
“The result of policies like this is more people living in despair, whether it’s nationwide because of the economy or South-specific because of the war and the efforts to disarm Hezbollah.”
Hope amid pressure
Lebanon has been in a prolonged economic meltdown since 2019, marked by hyperinflation, a collapsed banking sector, and soaring poverty levels. Despite some recent reforms, institutional challenges continue to hinder recovery.
Because there is no revenue to support raises for public workers, the government increased taxes on citizens, who Constantine says are already short on cash.
Sunday of Unity protests in Beirut, Lebanon, on November 3, 2019.
(Freimut Bahlo, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
“We’ve seen this happen back in 2017 when the government decided to raise the wages of the public sector without having any sources of income to support that raise, and that led to the 2019 crash of the economy,” Constantine says.
Division is common during desperate times. Through Christ-centered programs, Heart for Lebanon helps people move from despair to hope. More about that here.
“We’ve been taught in Lebanon that the other person [who] doesn’t look like you and act like you and live like you is your enemy, but Scripture tells us otherwise,” Constantine says.
“The only enemy we have is Satan.”
How to help
Keep Lebanon in your prayers. Pray that nonbelieving Lebanese people will encounter the redemptive love of Jesus Christ.
“Pray for the team at Heart for Lebanon for wisdom, discernment, and protection as they navigate in turmoil,” Constantine requests.
“Pray for their focus, because they’re not immune to what’s happening around them. Pray that they stay focused on Christ and Christ alone.”
Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.
