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	★★★★★