The Guests Who Set the House on Fire!

While Palestinians are often seen as victims of Israeli aggression, their armed factions—particularly during the late 20th century—have caused significant damage to fellow Arab countries that offered them refuge and support. In Lebanon, instead of acting as grateful guests or allies, some Palestinian groups operated as armed militias, effectively creating a state within a state. Their actions played a major role in sparking the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), dragging Lebanon into prolonged internal and regional conflict, and prompting repeated Israeli invasions. In Jordan, their attempt to overthrow the monarchy led to Black September in 1970, a brutal conflict between Palestinian groups and the Jordanian army. In Kuwait, after receiving shelter for decades, the PLO aligned itself with Saddam Hussein during the 1990 Iraqi invasion, which led to a complete breakdown in relations and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Kuwait. In Syria, while initially given refuge, tensions also rose due to Palestinian involvement in local conflicts. Instead of uniting with Arab hosts against the common enemy—Israel—many Palestinian factions pursued their own armed agendas, often at the expense of national stability in the very countries that supported their cause. For Lebanon especially, it remains a bitter irony that while Lebanese citizens have long supported the Palestinian struggle, they were repaid with bullets, bombings, and instability.

Enemies of My Enemies Keep Me Entertained – Love, Lebanon

 

Lebanon has endured interference and harm from multiple neighboring countries, each contributing uniquely to its instability. Israel has launched multiple invasions (notably in 1978, 1982, and 2006), occupying the south for decades, displacing civilians, and destroying infrastructure. Palestinian armed factions, particularly during the civil war era, dragged Lebanon into regional conflicts, militarizing refugee camps and triggering internal chaos. Syria occupied Lebanon militarily from 1976 to 2005, assassinated political leaders, and deeply infiltrated Lebanese intelligence, economy, and institutions. Egypt, while less directly aggressive, has historically used Lebanon as a propaganda ground during pan-Arab movements, contributing to internal divisions. Iran, however, stands out as the most damaging actor. Through Hezbollah, Iran has built a state within a state, undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty, dragging the country into wars with Israel, obstructing governance, and contributing to Lebanon’s international isolation and economic collapse. While all these countries have harmed Lebanon in different ways, Iran’s long-term strategic manipulation through Hezbollah has eroded Lebanon’s independence, democracy, and economy more systematically than any other.

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External Harm to Lebanon

Country	Type of Harm	Period of Major Influence	Key Actions / Impact	Score
Israel	Military invasion, occupation	1978–2006	Wars, occupation of the south, destruction of infrastructure	★★★★
Palestine	Armed factional conflict	1969–1990s	Armed presence in camps, dragged Lebanon into Israeli-Palestinian war	★★★
Syria	Political, military occupation	1976–2005	Assassinations, puppet governance, intelligence domination	★★★★
Egypt	Political meddling, propaganda	1950s–1970s	Inciting sectarian divisions via pan-Arabism	★★
Iran	Proxy militia control, political interference	1980s–Present	Control via Hezbollah, regional wars, obstruction of state function	★★★★★