WASHINGTON, DC – Karam, an American citizen stranded in Lebanon, says he feels as if he doesn’t matter to the U.S. government.
Lebanon faces relentless Israeli shelling, part of a U.S.-backed operation that has left hundreds dead and more than a million displaced, according to the United Nations.
However, the conflict has intensified in recent days, with Israeli forces launching a ground invasion in southern Lebanon.
On Monday, Karam called the U.S. embassy in Beirut, asking for help fleeing the violence. But she said she was told to find a way to leave the country on her own.
Mr. Karam, who chose to be identified by a nickname for fear of retribution, said the U.S. State Department quickly chartered special flights and ships to evacuate American citizens living in Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7 last year. The situation was in stark contrast.
“Lebanese-Americans have been treated as inferior American citizens to Israeli-Americans. It’s like we don’t exist,” Karam told Al Jazeera.
1 flight
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden’s administration announced it had contracted the first flight to evacuate American citizens from Beirut to Istanbul, nine days after Israel launched its offensive in Lebanon.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said there were 100 Americans on board the plane, some of the approximately 6,000 Americans who requested information or assistance from the U.S. embassy. said.
Miller said the U.S. government is planning more flights, but added that he would not make any announcements because they may not materialize “for whatever reason.”
He also indicated that the U.S. government intends to rely on commercial airlines to address unmet demand. “We have been working to secure seats and find seats available on existing commercial flights,” he said.
However, in past conflicts, including the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces have bombed Beirut’s airport runway.
And in recent days, the Israeli military has carried out airstrikes several blocks away from the airport, raising concerns about the security of civil aviation in the country.
Since September 23, all foreign airlines have canceled flights to Lebanon, leaving the country’s Middle East Airlines (MEA) the only one operating from Beirut’s international airport.
MEA operates around 30 daily flights to destinations in Europe and the Middle East, but this is far from meeting the growing demand for people leaving Lebanon.
Prices have also skyrocketed due to the crisis. For example, as of Wednesday, the next available MEA flight to Istanbul is Oct. 27, with a one-way ticket costing $310. All other flights are sold out.
“There are bombs everywhere.”
Last week, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents Michigan’s large Lebanese community, accused the U.S. government of failing its citizens abroad.
“Residents keep booking ‘available tickets’ but they keep getting canceled. What’s going to happen? Airfare on available commercial flights is $8,000,” she wrote on social media. wrote in the post.
Residents continue to book “available tickets” but they are repeatedly canceled. Airfare for commercial flights available is $8,000. When I said, @StateDept Regarding the cost barrier, the answer was, “We will finance it.” https://t.co/jYLAtH8cpL
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 28, 2024
Karam, originally from southern Lebanon, currently resides in a mountainous area east of Beirut that has largely been spared from Israeli attacks.
But she said she was afraid to travel within the country or visit her son in the capital because Israel could bomb anything, anywhere, at any time.
Israel has focused its airstrikes on southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley and Dahiyeh outside Beirut, but other areas have also been targeted, including within the capital’s city limits.
“Israel says they are following Hezbollah, but they are dropping bombs everywhere,” Karam said.
“The innocent people and Dahies of the south have paid the price. And we don’t know how long people will be displaced.”
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut advised its citizens to leave and distributed assistance acceptance forms, but many people who filled out applications said they received no answers beyond the published instructions.
“Reflection” of US policy
Kamal Makki, a Michigan resident, said his father’s flight was canceled and he was stuck in Lebanon. All the while, the country was being bombed.
His father received no aid from the U.S. government to escape the violence, McKee added.
“Yes, commercial flights are available, but not everyone. There are only a limited number of people who can fly, so basically you have to wait for your turn and make sure your flight doesn’t get cancelled. We need to see if that is the case,” he said.
Mackey’s father, a U.S. citizen, was visiting family in Lebanon when the conflict with Israel escalated. After days of waiting, he was finally able to board a flight to Baghdad on Tuesday, but during his layover, his flight from Iraq was canceled due to an Iranian missile attack on Israel. Now he’s stuck again.
As Israel ramps up attacks across the region, critics say the U.S. government is not making serious efforts to evacuate Lebanese nationals by land and sea, as it did against Americans in Israel last October. argues that there is a need to address this.
McKee said the Biden administration is not treating Arab Americans fairly, saying, “There’s always this idea that Israeli lives matter more than Arab lives.”
Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said Americans stranded in Lebanon are experiencing confusion due to poor communication from the U.S. embassy.
He also argued that one evacuation flight will never be enough, stressing that the United States has the ability and know-how to send enough planes and ships to evacuate people.
“This reflects U.S. foreign policy and U.S. priorities, and Arab Americans and Muslim Americans are low on both lists,” Ayoub told Al Jazeera.
Other countries also appear to be becoming more proactive in supporting their nationals in Lebanon. Canada announced Monday that it had reserved 800 seats on commercial flights for Canadians living in Lebanon, while Germany said it had arranged two evacuation flights and transferred 240 people out of the country.
Kamel Jawad murder
Supporters say more Americans will be at risk as Israel expands its shelling of Lebanon. Israeli operations have already targeted roads and residential buildings where many of the displaced people live.
On Tuesday, for example, Israeli artillery fire killed longtime Michigan resident Kamel Jawad.
When asked about the incident Wednesday, State Department spokesperson Miller said: “While we understand this was a lawful permanent resident and not a U.S. citizen, we of course extend our deepest condolences to the family on their loss.” “I will.”
However, Jawad’s family says he was not just a U.S. resident, he was also a U.S. citizen. His daughter Nadine said she was killed while helping elderly and displaced people in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh.
“My father’s actions are part of a larger movement of people who refuse to be silent in the face of oppression,” she said in a statement.
“His life is one of more than 50,000 lives lost to Israeli aggression across the Middle East. The fact that he was an American citizen makes his story more unique than others. Shouldn’t Matter. As Muslims, we believe that every life matters. If my father’s story resonates with you, so do all the other civilians killed by the Israeli regime. It should be the same.”
Ayoub, of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said Jawad is a pillar of Michigan’s Arab-American community and is respected, respected and loved by all.
“He was a mentor to a lot of people. He gave back to the community. He was there for everyone. He raised a great family,” Ayoub said of Jawad.
He added that Miller’s “self-righteous” and derogatory comments highlight the administration’s views on Arabs and Arab-Americans.
“It’s as if they’re intentionally going to see our people killed, and they’re intentionally disrespecting us and dehumanizing us,” he said.
