Writer and political science professor Ziad Majed highlights why Lebanon’s situation cannot simply be compared with that of other Arab countries that have signed peace or normalization agreements with Israel.
He points to major differences in their histories, circumstances, and experiences of conflict.
Majed examines the experiences of several Arab countries. He notes that countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco do not share a direct border with Israel and have not experienced decades of wars and invasions in the same way Lebanon has.
Egypt, meanwhile, emerged from direct armed conflict after the 1973 war under a different set of circumstances and international alliances.
Jordan, which does share a border with Israel, has its own distinct internal, demographic, and political circumstances. These factors enabled it to sign a peace treaty within a context that Majed considers fundamentally different from Lebanon’s, particularly given Lebanon’s ongoing territorial disputes and the presence of occupied Lebanese territory.
Majed argues that Lebanon has endured decades of occupation, wars, and military invasions, including the major Israeli invasions of 1978 and 1982, as well as subsequent conflicts.
He further argues that Lebanon is dealing with an Israeli government that he describes as far-right and expansionist, rather than one committed to a peace process.
For Majed, these differences make comparisons between Lebanon and other Arab countries misleading. He argues that discussions about peace cannot ignore the realities on the ground, particularly the situation in southern Lebanon and the border communities.
