The visit of a Palestinian delegation to the municipality of Damour revived one of the most sensitive files of the Lebanese war, transforming an announced effort towards reconciliation and turning the page on the past into a widespread local crisis, against the backdrop of the mechanism for completing the visit and the terminology used to describe the events of 1976.
Following the visit, the “Gathering of the People of Damour to Build Collective Memory” issued an escalatory statement, in which it refused to reduce what it described as “the Damour massacre” to broad terms such as “painful events” or “transgressions by some factions.” The group stressed that any serious path to reconciliation starts from establishing the facts and determining historical responsibilities, away from any attempts to soften the description or jump over the facts.
The statement called on the parties proven to be involved in the massacre and the burning of the town’s homes to explicitly acknowledge the facts and provide an official written and public apology. He also called for the formation of a specialized committee that includes Damourian activists, civil society representatives, and experts, to document the history of the town and formulate a narrative based on established documents and facts.
The gathering’s criticism was not limited to the Palestinian side, but rather extended to the local scene, considering that the visit took place in the absence of any prior preparation or sufficient coordination with the town’s activities and members of the municipal council.
The assembly held the mayor, Jean Al-Ghafri, and Mayor Tony Gharib responsible for what it described as the “slap” that Damour received, criticizing the blackout that preceded the visit and the exclusivity in decision-making. He also expressed his objection to the role played by Mukhtar Gharib in receiving the delegation, considering that he exceeded the powers of the six mukhtars of Damour and monopolized their representation.
The statement stressed that issues related to the memory of Damour and its history cannot be divided into individual decisions, stressing that true reconciliation does not begin with jumping over the past, but rather with documenting events and defining responsibilities, followed by steps to apologize and initiate a serious national dialogue.
With this development, the visit, which was said to be aimed at opening the door to reconciliation, placed the people of Damour before fundamental questions about the possibility of building a common memory in the absence of agreement on the facts of history, and whether it is possible to turn the page on the massacre without a prior apology.
