Lebanon: A Conflict of Minorities

9 April 1986

Reprinted with update February 1996

Through its short existence as an independent state, Lebanon has been divided by religious, political and ethnic loyalties; a division fuelled by internal militia groups and Great Power struggles.

This report traces Lebanon's complex history, detailing key events and players. The report explains how Lebanon's ruling elite became increasingly unrepresentative of it's people, living in the 'belt of misery' around the big cities and in the impoverished countryside. Further, the pressures of cold war politics and the arrival of scores of Palestinian refugees are highlighted as major factors in the polarization which led to the bitter 1975-76 civil war.

For years, Israeli invasions have wrecked any hopes of national reconstruction and reconciliation. However, in this updated report, the renowned Middle East specialist David McDowall, discusses today's Syrian and Israeli dimensions, clearly explaining the issues facing Lebanon as its people's future continues to hang in the balance. 

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