Over the past few weeks, Lebanese politicians from groups as diverse as Hezbollah and the Christian Lebanese Forces have been meeting intermittently in what has been dubbed a “National Dialogue.” Their primary objective is to forge a consensus for Lebanon’s future in the wake of the withdrawal of Syrian forces last year. But what their dialogue has exposed is how much Lebanese politics continues to be shaped by external forces.
Over the past few weeks, Lebanese politicians from groups as diverse as Hezbollah and the Christian Lebanese Forces have been meeting intermittently in what has been dubbed a “National Dialogue.” Their primary objective is to forge a consensus for Lebanon’s future in the wake of the withdrawal of Syrian forces last year. But what their dialogue has exposed is how much Lebanese politics continues to be shaped by external forces.