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HISTORY

Bashir Gemayel: Israel on the front line, Syria overshadowed

In political circles, Lebanon is often referred to as a country ever permeable to external influence, where embassies and consulates hold sway. While this clichéd assertion may allow local stakeholders to shirk their responsibilities, it also reflects the ascendancy of external powers in major Lebanese elections, especially those for president.

Since 1943, no president can claim to have been elected without a regional and international green light. Over the decades, several foreign powers have had a say in choosing the Lebanese head of state, be it the United Kingdom, France, Syria, Iran, Egypt or the United States.

Once elected, a Lebanese president’s mandate may also depend on regional factors. This story is one of power games, diplomatic interference and precarious geopolitical balancing acts, which L’Orient-Le Jour aims to tell in a 13-part series.

This seventh installment of our series tells the story of the quick ascent and fall of Bashir Gemayel in a context of comprehensive confrontation between Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on Lebanese territory.

Bashir Gemayel: Israel on the front line, Syria overshadowed

Bashir Gemayel. (Credit: OLJ archives)

Practically, Bashir Gemayel was already Lebanon’s president before his election in August 1982. This is what a realistic reading of the political and military developments of the time shows, even before the Israeli invasion of June 1982. Four years...
Practically, Bashir Gemayel was already Lebanon’s president before his election in August 1982. This is what a realistic reading of the political and military developments of the time shows, even before the Israeli invasion of June 1982. Four years...