Syrians return to Damascus via the Lebanese border post of Masnaa, in Dec. 2024, the day after the fall of the Assad regime. (Credit: AFP)
As if Lebanon and Syria are once again taking the same path. But this time, it is no longer the well-known “unity of path and destiny.” Born during the Syrian tutelage over Lebanon, this equation was imposed by Hafez al-Assad in 1993, when the Lebanese state sought to extend its authority over its entire territory and deploy the army to southern Lebanon, which was occupied by the Israeli army. This approach was part of a broader regional process aimed at negotiating with Israel based on the “land for peace” principle. Assad had then imposed on Lebanon to remain dependent on the Syrian path and not sign any peace agreements until Syria had done so. Read more In Lebanon, the beginning of a new era? Twenty-two years later, the equation seems reversed, due to the changes that have overwhelmed both countries. The simultaneity between the...
As if Lebanon and Syria are once again taking the same path. But this time, it is no longer the well-known “unity of path and destiny.” Born during the Syrian tutelage over Lebanon, this equation was imposed by Hafez al-Assad in 1993, when the Lebanese state sought to extend its authority over its entire territory and deploy the army to southern Lebanon, which was occupied by the Israeli army. This approach was part of a broader regional process aimed at negotiating with Israel based on the “land for peace” principle. Assad had then imposed on Lebanon to remain dependent on the Syrian path and not sign any peace agreements until Syria had done so. Read more In Lebanon, the beginning of a new era? Twenty-two years later, the equation seems reversed, due to the changes that have overwhelmed both countries. The simultaneity...