It is Lebanon’s week at the UN. There has been a special conference organized by a group of countries dubbed the International Support Group for Lebanon, a title which suggests that those countries do care about Lebanon and that this small country is facing real dangers.

There is no doubt that the issue of the Syrian refugees, because of its horror and magnitude, has accelerated the convening of such a conference. But this UN conference will not be limited to the refugee issue. It will also try to find ways to implement UN Resolution 1701, which is a safety net for Lebanon. The implementation of that resolution has become urgent after the exacerbation of the war in Syria and the growing possibility that Israel may join the fight. There is also the issue of supporting the Lebanese army and how to build up its capabilities so that Lebanon does not one day find itself hostage to the de facto forces and surrenders to them for lack of other options. There is also the economic issue, which has unfortunately not yet received the attention it deserves.

There is no doubt that the issue of the Syrian refugees is the most pressing. That issue may cause an earthquake in a region resting on delicate demographic and sectarian balances. The two countries most vulnerable in this regard are Jordan and Lebanon. Both are still suffering the repercussions of the Palestinian exodus that happened in the middle of the last century, affecting the balance and order of things throughout the region.

It is true that the case of the Syrian displacement is different than the Palestinian one. It is true that Syria will remain on the regional map despite the fact that its administrative shape may change. The Syrian refugees carry Syrian citizenship and have ID cards showing this. This is not the case for the Palestinian refugees, since the “nakba” took place before a Palestinian state was established.