ABSTRACT
The chapter addresses the issue of domestic realignments in light of shifting foreign allegiances. National identity has undergone major transformations as the public repositions its alliances. This came amid dramatic global and regional power shifts, which had a significant and resounding impact on the formation of Lebanese nationalism. After all, the country needed to cope with different regional and international struggles for influence. Syria, directly and indirectly, has played the most determinant role in shaping Lebanese politics and institutions. Its hegemony has been backed and supported by other regional and international powers such as Iran and Russia (and previously the USSR). Israel, France, the United States, and SaudiArabia, among others, have been confronting Syrian influence in Lebanon. The international struggle over Lebanon has been manifested in a variety of ways, ranging from economic, cultural, and political influence to direct military intervention. This chapter examines Lebanon’s relations vis-à-vis key player countries.
