Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc.

League of Arab States

Lebanon

Director: Lilly Gannone

© 2010 Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc. (IDIA)

This document is solely for use in preparation for Philadelphia Model United Nations 2010. Use for other purposes is not

permitted without the express written consent of IDIA. For more information, please write us at idiainfo@idia.net

Policy Dilemma ______________________________________________________________ 1

Chronology__________________________________________________________________ 3 8 May 1958 - Assassination of Nasib al-Matni __________________________________________ 3 11 June 1958 - UNOGIL____________________________________________________________ 4 June 1967 - Six Day War ___________________________________________________________ 4 13 April 1975 - Lebanese Civil War __________________________________________________ 5 15 October 1976 - Rise of the Palestine Liberation Organization __________________________ 5 February 1995 - Stock Market_______________________________________________________ 6 May 2000 - Israeli withdrawal _______________________________________________________ 6 15 February 2005 - The Cedar Revolution _____________________________________________ 7 16 April 2005 - Syrian Withdrawal ___________________________________________________ 7 July 2006 ________________________________________________________________________ 8 June 2009 ________________________________________________________________________ 8

Actors and Interests ___________________________________________________________ 9 Palestine Liberation Organization ___________________________________________________ 9 Israel___________________________________________________________________________ 10 Hezbollah _______________________________________________________________________ 11 Arab League ____________________________________________________________________ 12

Current Problems____________________________________________________________ 13 Refugees and Displaced Persons ____________________________________________________ 13

Possible Causes _____________________________________________________________ 15 Sectarian Population______________________________________________________________ 15 Weak Government _______________________________________________________________ 16

Conclusion _________________________________________________________________ 18

Discussion Questions _________________________________________________________ 19

Bibliography________________________________________________________________ 20 For Further Reading______________________________________________________________ 20 Works Cited_____________________________________________________________________ 21

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Policy Dilemma Lebanon became an independent state in 1946, after France declared the nation

free in 1941 and withdrew all troops in 1946.1 The establishment of an independent

government and democratic state was not without its challenges. Lebanese citizens had

minimal faith in the new government, especially following the corrupt elections of the

new president. Bishara Khoury was elected the first President of the independent state of

Lebanon in 1947. Following his two terms, the second of which was due to an

amendment made to the constitution by Khoury to extend the number of terms served by

the President, Khoury was forced to resign due to a strike in 1952.2 Camille Chamoun

became President after Khoury’s resignation. During his time as President, Chamoun

would begin the Lebanese tradition of partisan leadership. He was of the Maronite

population and held strong the values of his people. For years to follow Lebanese

leadership would represent only a portion of the diverse population at a time.

Since the establishment of the nation of Lebanon, the territory has been a refuge

for various religious groups, all seeking and struggling to secure power for themselves.3

Adding to the complicated social structure and diverse population, Lebanon has taken the

brunt of the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine. The United Nations decision to

separate Palestine into two distinct regions in 1947, greatly affected the newly freed

Lebanese state. For the years following the Palestinian break up, Lebanon was fraught by

war due to its close proximity. The war quickly spilled over into the Lebanese boarder,

bringing the nation into the conflict. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), borne

out of an idea of the Arab League, fought to bring Israeli land back to Palestine, while the

Israeli troops fought to keep the land the were given and religiously entitled to. The

conflict, viewed by the international community as a religious war, is more closely linked

to a war of territory, with each side holding a sense of entitlement to the land they are 1 Pogany, Istvan. The Arab League and Peacekeeping in the Lebanon. St. Martin’s Press, (New York, 1987), page 42. 2 Ibid, page 43. 3 Grafton, David D. The Christians of Lebanon: Political Rights in Islamic Law, Tauris Academic Studies, (New York, 2003), page 4.

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fighting over. The southern territory of Lebanon was not part of the land in question, but

because the nation existed so closely to the conflict area, the fighting moved into

Lebanon.

The prolonged war in Palestine after the proclamation of the state of Israel, left

Lebanon to support 140,000 new Palestinian refugees. The influx of Palestinian refugees

led to the displacement of citizens of Lebanon, which consequently created social strife

and debate within Lebanon. Tensions began to arise among Muslim, Arab, and Christian

populations due to the religious roots in the in the Israeli Palestinian conflict as well as

the partisan actions of the Lebanese government. Even today, Muslim populations

predominantly support the Palestinian effort to regain their territory in Israel, while

Christian and Maronite groups feel the presence Palestinian refugees and the strain of the

war is detrimental to the state of Lebanon. In 1984, in conjunction with Arab-Israeli

conflict spillover, Syria once again became the dominant external power influencing the

Lebanese government.4 Syrian dominance has remained a key concern underlining the

fragile state of the Lebanese government.

The Arab community closely watches the problems in Lebanon, one of the

founding members of the Arab League. As a key player in the international Arab

community, Lebanon received assistance from the Arab League throughout the years of

the Arab-Israeli conflict. From the beginning of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Arab

League has taken a firm standing against the creation of Israel. The League went so far as

to denounce and boycott the Israeli nation within the first years of the enactment of the

UN resolution. Lebanon has close ties to the conflict and for this the Arab League has

responded in offering assistance in the way of peacekeeping and defense assistance. The

conflict today is much less severe, but the social and economic troubles faced by the

Lebanese are still very much a major concern. The Arab league was formed to create a

means for Arab states to communicate with one another in order to improve political and

4 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 351.

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economic matters, thus the League must shift their focus in Lebanon from security to

rebuilding a state.

Social problems stemmed from the Arab-Israeli conflict, but were more closely

tied to issues of political neglect, poverty, religious bias, and territorial disputes than

social stigmas. The creation and rise of the Hezbollah army in southern Lebanon kept the

Arab-Israeli conflict very much a part of Lebanon. While Hezbollah believed their

actions were intended to aid the Palestinian people, both militarily and socially, the

international community began to view their tactics as dangerous and terrorist-like.

Though Israeli troops were asked to leave Lebanon and did so, under a UN resolution

passed in 1998, they returned and continued to wage war in Lebanese territory in 2006.

The social problems created and exacerbated by the Palestinian and Israeli conflict

remain a major constriction in the rebuilding of Lebanon. The Lebanese government

must work to rebuild a free and democratic nation for its people, where each religious and

ethnic base is equally represented and all social problems are heard.

Chronology 8 May 1958 - Assassination of Nasib al-Matni Civil War broke out in Lebanon after the assassination of Nasib al-Matni, the

owner of the Beirut newspaper. The fragile state of the diverse Lebanese society began to

unravel and soon led citizens to revolt against the government or each other. Al-Matni’s

paper frequently printed stories criticizing the president Camille Chamoun;5 Chamoun

was favored by the Maronite and Christian communities, but mistrusted by the Arab sects

of the population. Following the murder, the Muslim United National Front called for the

resignation of president Chamoun. After years of tension amongst partisan groups, the

Muslim United National Front believed the Chamoun administration was responsible for

the murder of the al-Matni. The Chamoun administration had been accused of fraud and

5 Pogany, Istvan. The Arab League and Peacekeeping in the Lebanon. St. Martin’s Press, (New York, 1987), page 44.

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corruption prior to al-Matni murder, so al-Matni’s death merely solidified the beliefs held

by the factions of the Lebanese population that were already against president Chamoun.

11 June 1958 - UNOGIL Following the United Nations decision to spilt Palestine into two separate states,

conflict and war in the region erupted and Lebanon quickly felt the repercussions.

Lebanon at the time was already dealing with internal conflicts; the already tenuous

social structure, a byproduct from an ongoing civil war, was further burdened with the

war of their neighbors. The Lebanese appeal for United Nations assistance during the

conflict resulted in the creation and implementation of United Nations Observer Group in

the Lebanon (UNOGIL).6 UNOGIL was assigned to determine whether the conflict

within Lebanon was the result of exterior aggression. The Lebanese government feared

their Arab neighbors had infiltrated their borders as a result of the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict. After the investigation, the UN found no evidence of border infiltration and

activity during the conflict. Conflict remained within Lebanon because of the fighting in

Palestine. Lebanon was still in need of assistance, requesting and receiving aid from the

United States government.

June 1967 - Six Day War War between Israeli forces and the armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan broke out in

June of 1967. The conflict spilled over into Lebanon due to the close proximity of the

nations and Lebanon’s history of involvement in the conflict. The demographics of the

Lebanese population were directly influenced by the 1967 war and throughout the course

of the war, the overflow of Palestine refugees led to civil unrest in state lines. By the end

of the conflict, Palestinian refugees accounted for twelve per cent of the Lebanese

population.

When war erupted between Israeli and Palestinian forces in Palestine, the

Palestinian guerrilla forces within Lebanon became increasingly active. Palestinian

6 Ibid, 45.

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attacks against Israel consequently led Israeli forces to target Lebanese territories. The

actions of the Palestinian guerilla forces led to the uprising of latent tensions within the

Lebanese population. Muslim groups in the nation favored the Palestinian movement and

supported their fight against Israel, while Maronite groups felt Palestinian action within

their nation’s boarders threatened the wellbeing of the Lebanese community.

13 April 1975 - Lebanese Civil War Disputes between Israel and Palestine continued to plague the citizens of Lebanon.

In 1975, both Israel and Palestine used Southern Lebanon as a territory to wage war.

Unrest within Lebanon furthered local tensions among citizens as major Lebanese

factions supported different parties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.7 The general

population of Lebanon was split in their beliefs on the matter of Palestine. This was a

common theme in Lebanon for decades, however, April 13, 1975 was the day that the

Israeli- Palestinian conflict officially over ran national policy in Lebanon; April 13, 1975

marked the start of the Lebanese Civil War.

On the morning of April 13th, an unidentified bus car fired on the leader of the

Christian Phalange, Pierre Gemayel, in Ayn-al-Rummanah, a Christian suburb of

Lebanon. While he was not harmed in the assassination attempt, four of his bodyguards

died in the crossfire. Later that day, a busload of PLO militants drove through the same

neighborhood and was ambushed by the enraged members of Phalange. Twenty-seven

Palestinians were killed in the ambush. The news got wind of the two incidents and

before the end of the evening, there were citywide riots in Beirut8.

15 October 1976 - Rise of the Palestine Liberation Organization Following years of social tension regarding the Israel and Palestine conflict and

the continuous presence of Syrian troops, Lebanon called on the aid of the Arab League.

The Arab League’s overwhelming support for the Palestinian plight in the matters of the

7 Ibid, page 55. 8 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/819200.stm

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Arab-Israeli conflict as was evidenced by the Arab League’s creation of the Palestine

Liberation Organization (PLO).9 Fighting between the PLO and Israeli forces grew and

spread across Lebanese territory, thus creating more tension amongst the Lebanese

population. Once the Lebanese government recognized the stress of the Arab-Israeli

conflict on its people, the government decided to call on the Arab League to demand aid

in ending the fighting within Lebanese boarders. The Arab League and Syria both got

involved in trying to minimize the effects of the civil war but the rebellions continued

until 1990.

February 1995 - Stock Market Following years of fighting and social destruction the Lebanese government began

to rebuild the infrastructure and economy of the nation. In February, the government

allocated USD $1 million to finance the reopening of the stock exchange, which was

closed since 1983.10 Israeli and Palestinian occupation of the nation kept the economic

state of Lebanon shaky and unreliable. The reopening of the stock exchange was the first

attempt made by the government to reconstruct the nation’s economic wellbeing. This

reconstruction was cut short by a nationwide strike against the Israeli occupation of

southern Lebanon.11 The strike halted all business and hindered further economic

rehabilitation. Sectarian tensions within the diverse population and Israeli occupation

further inhibit the prosperity of the Lebanese people.

May 2000 - Israeli withdrawal Israeli troops completed a full withdrawal of all forces in southern Lebanon

following a UN resolution passed in 1998.12 A small group of UN peacekeepers were

deployed to the Israel/Lebanon border to insure a peaceful and complete withdrawal of

9 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 565 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. 12 The CIA World Fact book, Lebanon, Transnational Issues, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.html, accessed 25 October 2009.

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Israeli troops.13 Due to years of conflict, the weak Lebanese government and army

remained far removed from the territory. Following the complete withdraw of all Israeli

forces, the Lebanese Security Forces entered southern Lebanon for the first time in over

two decades.14 Upon the withdrawal of the Israeli army, Hezbollah took de facto control

over the region. This was particularly divisive; Hezbollah control forced certain sects of

the Lebanese population to flee the area in fear.

15 February 2005 - The Cedar Revolution A massive bombing in Beirut led to the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister

Rafiq Hariri.15 The attack was traced to Syria, sparking anti-Syrian demonstrations and

social outcry.16 Overwhelming Syrian presence and dominance in Lebanese affairs had

plagued the Lebanese people and the prosperity of the nation since the 80s. This

involvement had been contentious but the assassination of the Prime Minister spurred

social protest that was decades in the making. At the helm of the Anti-Syrian

demonstrations was Hezbollah. The demonstrators demand the pullout of all Syria forces

and their demands are met by March, when Syria begins to pullout troops from the

northern territories of Lebanon.17

16 April 2005 - Syrian Withdrawal Syria withdrew all troops from Lebanon after the continuation of demonstrations

and Hezbollah lead protests and in accordance with the United Nations resolution drafted

to request the complete withdraw of all Syrian troops from Lebanon, passed in 2004.

After years of Arab-Israel presence in Lebanon, Syrian presence only hindered the

nation’s rehabilitation further; years of Syrian dominance and control over the Lebanese

government inhibited political stability within the government. Though officials in the

13 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 589. 14 Ibid, page 589. 15 Blanche, Ed. Lebanon: At the Crossroads, The Middle East, (July 2008) 16 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 613. 17 Ibid, page 613.

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Lebanese Parliament and Cabinet, as well as the Prime Minister and President are

democratically elected, Syrian presence in government dealings questioned any actions

and decisions preformed or made by the government.

July 2006 Starting in July, Israeli forces moved into southern Lebanon once more to wage

war on Palestinian partisan groups. The area had been free from conflict since 2000, after

Israeli troops withdrew in accordance with a UN resolution. The conflict raged in the area

for 33 days until a UN resolution demanded Israeli troops withdraw once more.18 Israeli

intrusion and the resulting war between Israel and Hezbollah uprooted tens of thousands

of Lebanese in the surrounding area. The 33-day war had extremely detrimental effects

on the Lebanese state, causing massive damage to the state’s infrastructure and

weakening the government further.19 The conflict resulted in dramatic financial damage

to the states economy and to the agricultural sector of the nation’s economy. The effect

on agriculture was devastating because it accounted for 30 to 40 per cent of Lebanon’s

income.20 Israeli presence and Hezbollah control in the southern regions of Lebanon has

caused tremendous destruction the nation, physically, socially, and financially.

June 2009 The summer of 2009 marked the first democratic election held in Lebanon since

1972.21 The election represented the government’s attempt to rebuild the nation after

decades of dismantling due to the Arab-Israeli conflict and social conflict between

sectarian groups. Western media was quick to proclaim victory on behalf of democracy

and new found political freedom for the Lebanese people. After the election and the

18 Ibid, 619. 19 Ibid, 338. 20 Darwish, Ragy. Farajalla, Nadim. Masri, Rania. The 2006 war and its inter-temporal economic impact on agriculture in Lebanon, Blackwell Publishing, (October 2009), http://www.ingentaconnect.com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/content/bpl/disa/2009/00000033/00000004/art00007?token=004614de3cea67232d45237b597a407b432c74674c3e663568263c7b1bb607ac30e47c, accessed 27 October 2009. 21 The Foreign Policy Centre. Electoral Reform in Lebanon. Analysis and Important Updates on the July 7th, 2009 Lebanese General Elections, http://lebelections.blogspot.com/, accessed 17 November 2009

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subsequent self-reflection of its success, the newly appointed government quickly fell

into familiar patterns of social favoritism.22 Though the elections initially appeared to be

founded on the grounds of political revival and reestablishment, it quickly turned into a

competition for sectarian representation. In this case, the elections were a prime

opportunity for the Christian sections of the population to finally acquire the equal

political representation for which they had been struggling. Similar to the history of

Lebanese politics, the main problem facing free and equal political opportunity still

remains the fear of creating biased and partisan leadership.

Actors and Interests Palestine Liberation Organization Egypt and the Arab League originally founded the Palestine Liberation

Organization (PLO) in 1964.23 Largely in part to the Egyptian government, the PLO was

established in order to support the plight of the Palestinian people during the Arab-Israeli

conflict. Upon its creation the PLO took a strong and opposing position on the UN

decision to create the nation of Israel. During Yasser Arafat’s control over the PLO, the

organization fought with the intention to destroy the Israel state and its inhabitants. The

main objective of the PLO was to protect the Palestinian people by dismantling its

enemies, the Israelis. Their program at inception called for all Jews, who had arrived after

1917, to leave the territory of Palestine.

Since that time the PLO has changed and its actions have become less militant and

extreme. In its Charter proclamations of a state free of Israel are envisioned and set as the

ultimate goal, however this vision is not designed to create war amongst Israel and

Palestine, but rather to empower the Palestinian people. As of 1993, the PLO adopted a

new position which stated its approval of the UN resolutions, accepted the state of Israel,

22 Ibid. 23 The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Palestine Liberation Organization, Columbia University Press, (2007), http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0837351.html, accessed 11 November 2009.

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and called for all nations to accept the same.24 The PLO followed suit with the

establishment of Israel, as stated by the UN years earlier, however fighting between

members of the both groups continued.

Though the PLO chose to recognize the Israeli state, they still felt the threat of

Israeli presence in their preconceived territory. In recent years, fighting between the

Israeli troops and the PLO has erupted due to territorial disputes. When the fighting first

began, Israeli troops were given advanced weaponry from exterior nations, while

Palestine was left with no such security. Soon after the PLO was formed it became

apparent that in order to protect the Palestinian people, more advanced weaponry was

needed. This need was soon met. As the Arab-Israeli conflict has snowballed into a major

conflict, the PLO has grown to fulfill the mission of protecting its people when necessary.

As an organization, the PLO may recognize Israel, but that has not hindered their active

opposition in territorial disputes.

Israel Fifty years of activism and international support endorsing the creation of a

homeland and religious refuge for Jews led to the creation and partition of Palestine.25

Israel received international recognition and gained the territory following the 1947

resolution passed by the United Nations. The division of Palestinian territory did not

come without problems. In the years following the partition, fighting between Israel and

Palestine became a major international problem. In its decision to separate the two states,

the UN envisioned the wellbeing of both nations to improve upon its separation.26 Jews

worldwide were highly supportive of the establishment of Israel. The territory became the

homeland for all Jews and functioned as a religious stronghold for a people so persecuted

during the Second World War.

24 Isseroff, Ami. The Palestinian National Charter, MidEast Web Historical Documents, http://www.mideastweb.org/plocha.htm, accessed 18 November 2009. 25 Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State, Israel Country Profile. (January 2009), http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3581.htm, accessed 18 November 2009 26 The CIA World Fact Book, Israel, Introduction, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html, accessed 18 November 2009.

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The problems that arose after Israel’s creation mainly stemmed from territorial

disputes. Some argue the Arab-Israeli conflict is mainly rooted in religion; however the

conflict more strongly confronts the issue territory. Though all parties have resorted to

the use of religious imagery to gain support and they all claim the area as religious

homeland, the true issue remains a fight over land.27 Once given their land, Jewish people

from all nations began to visit the area deemed a “birth right”. The Israeli people began to

establish a government and quickly created an army in which all Israelis had to join and

serve in at age eighteen. This army grew large and very capable quickly and became of

grave concern to the Palestinian and other surrounding Arab states. The Israeli Defense

Force (IDF) started with the external support from pro-Israel states and then grew

exponentially over the years. International support for Israel and the IDF led Arab states

to retaliate further; the strength of the IDF and lack of military support for the Arab states

allowed Israel quickly grew dominate.

Hezbollah In response to the continued presence of Israeli troops and their plight on the

Lebanese people, Hezbollah was created in 1982.28 Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political

group based in Lebanon, which includes a militant wing of activists. Hezbollah is

considered by nations like the United States as a terrorist organization. Though there are

recorded accounts of terrorist–like activities executed by Hezbollah, the group also makes

claims to providing major social services including but not limited to, operating schools,

hospitals, agricultural services.29

Hezbollah is responsible for numerous attacks against Israeli troops within and

outside of Lebanon, accounting for hundreds of deaths, both military and civilian. The

most recent major conflict that Hezbollah was involved in was between Hezbollah and

Israeli forces in the summer of 2006 and it resulted in hundreds of displaced Lebanese 27 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 33. 28 Council on Foreign Relations, Hezbollah, Backgrounder, (June 2009), http://www.cfr.org/publication/9155/, accessed 11 November 2009. 29 Ibid.

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people and the deaths of innocent civilians.30 Since its creation, Hezbollah has become an

important part of the Lebanese political landscape. In 2005, Hezbollah gained 14 seats

out of 128-seat Lebanese parliament. Hezbollah is based in areas of Lebanon with heavy

populations of Shiite Muslims, and because they receive much support from the Shiite

Muslims of Lebanon, the democratic elections favored the rise of Hezbollah

representatives in government.

Later in 2008, Hezbollah’s political power was bolstered following multiple

militant attacks in Lebanon. The Lebanese government was forced to compromise with

the group, giving them veto power with eleven of thirty cabinet seats.31 The 2009 election

showed Hezbollah’s wavering support when they lost three of their fourteen seats of

parliament, bring their total to eleven seats. Hezbollah is primarily concerned with the

well being of Shiite Muslims. They act in retaliation to the Israeli control over a region

which they believe to be Palestine. Though some of their actions remain peaceful and

socially beneficial, Hezbollah’s militant habits remain a grave concern for Western

nations.

Arab League The Arab League was established in response to the growing Islamic revival

movement. Its formation was predominately symbolic in the sense that the league would

act as a unified agreement between predominate Arab states, so as to provide a forum to

discuss political action, economic rehabilitation, and overall Arab collaboration. By

design, in accordance with the Alexandria Protocol, the Arab League does not have any

form of ultimate power over a nation and may not intervene in any particular security

matter unless asked by the nation involved. The Arab League is still a major force within

the international community due to its strong representation of Arab unity and mission to

promote a positive Arab image in the world. As such, the Arab League has similar goals

30 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 619. 31 Fordham, Alice. Lebanon Announces unity Government with Hezbollah Members, The Times Online, (November 209), http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6911723.ece, accessed 11 November 2009.

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of that of the United Nations. Although its ultimate power is weak, in a sense,

symbolically they both hold strong influence in the world.

In cases where the Arab League has been called upon by a member state, the

primary task of the League is to assess the situation and attempt to reestablish peace. This

was the case for Arab League involvement in Lebanese affairs. Initial Arab League

involvement in Lebanon began in 1958 with the dispute between the nation and the

United Arab Republic. Lebanon’s close ties with the conflict have made it an important

territory in attempts to bring about peace in the region.32 The Arab League is intended to

support Arab nations, so their interest lies in the prosperity of Palestine; this support for

Palestine and need for peace in the region led to the creation of the PLO. Though the

Arab League was initially partially responsible for the establishment of the PLO, they do

not necessarily agree with the actions of the organization. Primarily the Arab League

wants peace within Lebanon and the prosperity of the Arab states.

Current Problems Refugees and Displaced Persons Lebanon is home to nearly 500,000 refugees, of which some 400,000 are

Palestinian and 60,000 are Iraqi. The number of internally displaced persons in Lebanon

exceeds 200,000.33 Lebanon is home to the largest number of Palestinian refugees, the

majority living in high levels of abject poverty. Creating and maintaining refugee

facilities is a growing concern for the Lebanese government and its people. Rebuilding

and finding new homes for the population of Lebanese citizens currently displaced

remains a top priority. Due to years of conflict mainly in the southern areas of Lebanon

and in Beirut, some of the original sixteen refugee camps were destroyed and never

rebuilt.34 The on going fighting and the continued instability of the government has left

32 Hassouna, Hussein A. The League of Arab States and Regional Disputes: A Study of Middle East Conflicts, Oceana Publications, (New York, 1975) page 61. 33 The CIA World Fact book, Lebanon, Transnational Issues, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.html, accessed 25 October 2009. 34 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Lebanon Refugee Camp Profiles, figures as of June 2009, http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/lebanon.html, accessed 17 November 2009.

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the refugees and displaced persons of Lebanon forgotten and unaided. The Arab League

has heralded the importance of Arabs working together to alleviate suffering of their

own; the suffering of Palestinian refugees within Lebanon needs to be a targeted concern.

The twelve remaining refugee camps suffer from a variety of problems leaving

those members of the communities to live in unsuitable and sometimes detrimental

situations. The camps are largely overcrowded because they were forced to accommodate

additional refugees from the destroyed camps.35 The camps have little to no

infrastructure, their inhabitants are largely impoverished, and there is no opportunity for

employment so the levels of unemployment remain high. The environment isn’t

inhabitable and the shear number of Palestinian refugees put the refugees at high risk for

health problems. They do not have any social or civil rights, nor do they have access to

much, if any, public health services from their government. Lebanon can do little to help

the current situation, so for now the situation remains stagnant. It is imperative that the

Arab League assist a member nation with their struggles.

Economic Instability Lebanon received its independence from France in 1943 and only a few decades

later was thrust into the middle of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The nation had little time to

construct a proper government and economic system before it was forced to handle the

throws of war. War has not left the region since, leaving Lebanon to build, secure, and

maintain a suitable economic state under the confines of war.

Economic prosperity in Lebanon is largely based in agriculture and port city

exports and imports. Aside from agriculture, the nation has little in the way of natural

resources and must rely on imports from other nations.36 During the attempts solidify an

economic structure, the Lebanese government began to develop a system that largely

focused on trade, banking, and tourism. Prior to the Civil War starting 1975, the

economic strongholds of the nation relied heavily on those three service areas. The

35 Ibid. 36 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 338.

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central location of Beirut made it the ideal core of Lebanese economy. The port city

quickly became a center point for the region’s imports and exports.37 The established

economic system in Lebanon, prior to the Civil War and subsequent Arab-Israeli conflict,

fell to the wayside as war began to plague the area.

Beirut was near obliterated during the Civil war, destroying the nation’s

commercial center. Beirut was home to the majority of Lebanese banks, hotels, tourist

centers, and international business conglomerates.38 After the Civil War ended and the

Arab-Israeli moved out of Lebanese territory, the government began to rebuild the

nation’s capital in attempts to begin to rebuild the economy. In 2006, when Israeli forces

moved in to Lebanon once more, Beirut was again destroyed and the fragile economy

ruined. Any and all attempts made by the Lebanese governments to rebuild their central

city and revitalize their nation’s economy have been met with continued war and

disestablishment.

Possible Causes Sectarian Population The overall population of Lebanon is divided into seventeen recognized religious

groups and sects.39 This division has resulted in many social conflicts since the nation

acquired its independence. Though seventeen religious groups make up the population,

the people are more generally divided into three distinct sects: the Maronite Christians,

the Druze, and the Shiites. These religious groups section themselves geographically,

with the Christians populating the north, the Druze in the central region, and the Shiites

occupying the southern territory.40 Each section of the geographic breakdown in Lebanon

has experienced different social constructs at any one point in time, creating a nation that

geographically has never been unified.

37 Ibid, page 339. 38 Ibid, page 339. 39 The CIA World Fact book, Lebanon, Transnational Issues, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/le.html, accessed 25 October 2009. 40 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 340.

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The northern region of Lebanon, though initially largely populated with Christian,

has now become a diverse region. The Mount Lebanon area, a territory which extends

along the Mediterranean coast, has been a region of social conflict since the nation’s

independence.41 The secular populations in this area have alternately bound together over

the years to resist external control and to prevent total political control of one group at

any single point in time.42 They function to procure an egalitarian state with no one part

in charge of the whole.

The exact demographic break down of Lebanon is unknown, as the last census

recorded in the nation was 1932.43 The population has changed in structure over the years

as low birth rates in some communities and high immigration rates in others have

rearranged the population’s structure. Regardless of the change in population

percentages, the demographics of the nation still highlight three very distinct sectarian

groups. This diverse structure has directly impacted the nation’s ability to build and

maintain a stable government.

Weak Government Since Lebanon gained its independence from France after World War Two, the

government has gone through numerous changes of command and resignations of chiefs

of state. The strongly diverse population has led to numerous political battles and has

inhibited the founding of a functional and regionally acceptable government.

Establishing any sort of cohesive government in Lebanon has been met with much

opposition. As one central party gains power or attempts to create order, other groups

revolt for fear of out-group oppression.44 No single group can have more power than the

other in Lebanon’s highly sectarian construct. Currently the government is divided into

41 Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State, Lebanon Country Profile. (January 2009), http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35833.htm, accessed 18 November 2009. 42 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 340. 43 Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State, Lebanon Country Profile. (January 2009), http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35833.htm, accessed 18 November 2009. 44 Auburn Associates, The Middle East, Eleventh Edition, Congressional Quarterly Press, (Washington DC, 2007), page 340.

PhilMUN 2010 17

three branches, executive; constituting the position of president, prime minister, and

deputy prime minister, legislative, and judicial, similar to that of the United States,

however the legislative branch functions in unicameral fashion, with only one legislative

chamber.45 The actual physical structure of the government has not been the cause of

debate or mistrust, instead whoever is elected or placed in control suffers much protest

and debate from any one sect of the population at a time.

The tenuous state of the Lebanese population has put a strong emphasis on the

importance of a bipartisan leader. Since such a person has yet to exist in the executive

branch of Lebanon, the citizens of the state have yet to unify totally. Continuous war and

external control have imbedded the government’s ability to maintain a strong and central

presence in the nation. Every opportunity the government has to rebuild and start anew

war irrupts in the south and rebuilding ends abruptly. The presence of Hezbollah both in

southern Lebanon and in the cabinet has been both detrimental to the government and

beneficial. Hezbollah does represent a certain majority of the Lebanese population and

thus must have a place in parliament, however their militant actions in the south have

harmed the possibility of prosperity in the nation.

45 Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, United States Department of State, Lebanon Country Profile. (January 2009), http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35833.htm, accessed 18 November 2009.

PhilMUN 2010 18

Conclusion Since its national independence, Lebanon has been fraught with war and social

strife. The Arab-Israeli conflict quickly spilled over into the Lebanese territory due to

close proximity and has since never truly left the nation. Southern Lebanon has become

the political stumping grounds for groups like Hezbollah, the PLO and other pro-

Palestine groups. The Israeli forces, PLO troops, Hezbollah militants, and the Arab

League have all played a role in the current state of Lebanon today. The continued

conflict between Palestine and Israel has led to a weak government and poor economic

structure. The weak state of the economy holds its roots in a system dependent on tourism

and international trade. The strongly sectarian population leads to a partisan society and

often partisan government. The need for harmonious agreement between all religious

fractions is necessary for the development of a strong stable government. The major

problems facing Lebanese society today are the high population of refugees and displaced

persons and the subsequent poor state of refugee camps, the weak and ill-established

government, and the feeble economy. The geographical proximity of Lebanon to the

Arab-Israeli conflict makes creating peace in Lebanon integral to peace within the Arab

community.

PhilMUN 2010 19

Discussion Questions • How does the current government of Lebanon play a role in the instability of the

state? • Many religious sects constitute the social structure of Lebanon, does this mélange

of culture negatively or positively influence the government? Why? • Hezbollah represents both positive social presence and negative militant influence,

how can their presence be more controlled and stabilized? • As the Arab league cannot force the Lebanese government to adhere to policy,

what should be the Leagues role in this state's affairs? • When so many Arab states have influence on the status of Lebanon and its history,

can the Arab League come to a conclusive and unbiased agreement on what should be done to improve the situation in Lebanon?

• What social needs need to be met in the case of Lebanon and can one deem any

problem more important than another?

PhilMUN 2010 20

Bibliography For Further Reading Darwish, Ragy. Farajalla, Nadim. Masri, Rania. The 2006 war and its inter-temporal

economic impact on agriculture in Lebanon, Blackwell Publishing, (October 2009), http://www.ingentaconnect.com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/content/bpl/disa/2009/00000033/00000004/art00007?token=004614de3cea67232d45237b597a407b432c74674c3e663568263c7b1bb607ac30e47c

This book analyzes the impact of the 2006 War between Israel and Lebanon on the Lebanese economy especially in the Southern regions of Lebanon. The war really took a toll on the basic infrastructure of Lebanon and this delves deeper into the lasting impact of that altercation.

Blanford, Nicholas. “Who Fired on Israel from Lebanon?” TIME Magazine. 8 January

2009.

This article takes a closer look at the rocket that was launched in 2009 and determines the role of Hezbollah in the incident. The rocket launch really brought to question the strength of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon. It also shed light on the active role of non state actors on the stability of the region.

PhilMUN 2010 21

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https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/is.html, accessed 18 November 2009

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http://www.cfr.org/publication/9155/, accessed 11 November 2009 Darwish, Ragy. Farajalla, Nadim. Masri, Rania. The 2006 war and its inter-temporal

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Fordham, Alice. Lebanon Announces unity Government with Hezbollah Members, The

Times Online, (November 209), http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6911723.ece, accessed 11 November 2009

PhilMUN 2010 22

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