The kisses by Premier Saad Hariri, the son of Rafiq Hariri, on the cheek of Syrian President Bashar Assad showed that Hariri the son has nerve of steel, as well as strength and a huge determination to succeed as the prime minister of Lebanon. Certainly, Saad Hariri has made a huge effort on himself in the four years since his father's killing, to conduct this reconciliation with Damascus. Saad Hariri proved to his country and to his Arab friends that he is a statesman who can overcome his personal feelings and bury them deep, while performing steps to usher in new relations between Lebanon and Syria. The wager of Hariri, the heir to his father, the martyr Rafiq Hariri, who was killed for his country, is on turning the Lebanese-Syrian relationship into one between a state and an important, neighboring, fraternal country. This is why Hariri was keen to make his statements from the Lebanese Embassy in Damascus and the Lebanese ambassador was by his side throughout the visit. Naturally, the kisses of greeting that Hariri exchanged with President Assad were part of the exceptional efforts the former has put forward to ensure the success of his task as the head of the government, one that includes members who are allies of Damascus before they are Lebanese. Certainly, Hariri has been aware, ever since he took office, that he would have to visit Damascus. Syria is a neighbor of Lebanon and its natural-geographical outlet; this was proved in the summer of 2006, when Israel undertook its barbaric offensive against Lebanon and closed all of its outlets, from port to airport; the road to Damascus was the only one open to the Lebanese. Now, after the reconciliation and kisses between the two men, what should we expect? The ball is now in the Syrian court. Will Syria deal with Lebanon like an independent state? This is useful to all sides, to Lebanon, and to Syria, which will gain more internationally if it takes this road, whether in terms of Syria's relationship with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or the US and the Arabs. But if we see a return of the method of judicial subpoenas or requests to abolish UN Security Council Resolution 1559 (which does not mention Syria at all, its content is about preserving Lebanon's sovereignty), then these will be negative signals, which should be corrected following this visit. Hariri overcame all of these negative signals prior to his visit and behaved like a statesman, going to a capital that was difficult for him. Perhaps it was the toughest decision to make of his political career. And now what? Certainly, the Arab world represents Lebanon's strategic depth, and Lebanon is not isolated from its Arab neighbors. However, it independence and sovereignty are precious. It is a democratic regime, different from the rest of its Arab brethren. Its media is free and everything that takes place in political life appears in the pages of various newspapers. Hariri's wager is on protecting and preserving this freedom, sovereignty and independence, and not going back to the past, when there was intervention in every little thing. If these efforts are meant to take Lebanon back to its dark past, which has ended, then let Hariri return to his personal life and stay away from politics, so that he does not fall, God forbid, as another martyr, like his father and the young martyrs of Lebanon. It is true that President Assad and Prime Minister Hariri have brought bilateral relations to a new era. However, we should examine whether this will actually happen. Hariri overcame a deep personal wound, hiding his extreme pain for the sake of his country. There is great hope in the two countries that this is in the interest of Syria and Lebanon. The recent, dark past has hurt Lebanon and its people, as well as Syria. The responsibility of Syria and Lebanon is great, at the present stage. Lebanese are also responsible for the fate of their country. Where in the world have we seen legislative elections that twice produce a parliamentary majority that cannot rule alone? The majority in Lebanon won the 2005 and 2009 elections but has been unable to enjoy out its democratic right to form a government of a parliamentary majority, with a democratic opposition. The choice was always: either a coalition with the losers of the polls, or obstruction and stalemate. The majority in Lebanon is present in Parliament, and the head of the Cabinet, but the opposition, thanks to the force of arms, has forced a change in the democratic game. The wager is on whether Hariri's visit to Damascus will truly enable him to resurrect his country and take it to a new era of stability, security and democracy.
