Lebanon

LEBANON

Lebanon became independent from the French League of Nations mandate in1943. Due to the sensitive ethnic balance, there has not been an official census since 1932. Current estimates are that the total native population is 5.5 million, of which 31% are Sunni Muslims, 31% are Shia Muslims and 34% Christians. In addition, the country contains 250,000 Palestinian refugees and 1.5 million Syrian refugees. Relations among the different groups are uneasy, to say the least.

The Hezbollah militants’ base is the Shia population. Iran supports them, being the largest Shia power in the world. But there is much support for Hezbollah among groups other than the Shia. Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel, almost all intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Israel has responded with air strikes. Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah will kill some militants, and also civilians. But Israel will not be able to kill the idea Hezbollah represents, i.e. standing up for the rights of what it sees as the oppressed against Israeli aggression, any more than it will be able to kill the idea Hamas represents. Recent Israeli actions have created more militants, not less. 

Sources: Index Mundi, The Guardian, 8/23/24, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.