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Internal Tension in Lebanon before the war

Internal Tension in Lebanon before the war . Lebanese support for the Palestinians among Muslims alienated by the system; e.g. lack of basic social services Sulayman Frangieh (1970-76) abandoned Shihabist policies  return to “nepotism and corruption” System favored the Christians

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Internal Tension in Lebanon before the war

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  1. Internal Tension in Lebanon before the war

  2. Lebanese support for the Palestinians among Muslims alienated by the system; e.g. lack of basic social services • SulaymanFrangieh (1970-76) abandoned Shihabist policies  return to “nepotism and corruption” • System favored the Christians • 6/5 ratio • Shia community severely underrepresented • Muslims + Palestinians opposed to status quo – backed by KamalJumblatt • Gemayel’s Phalange defended status quo

  3. 1st phase of the war • Phalangists and PLO armed • Outbreak of fighting between Phalangists and PLO; April  June • Christians (Phalangists) vs. Muslims (Lebanese National Movement – Jumblatt); August 

  4. The Lebanese Miracle • Miracle for the few… • Shihabism opening up of new areas  business opportunities • Oil boom  trading opportunities in the Arab countries • Agricultural businessmen; monopolies on domestic sale, import and export of produce • Decline of primary sector, impoverishment of farmers -> urban poor

  5. Traboulsi • Lebanon a ‘place’ for recycling petrodollars toward Western networks (“logic of Western recuperation of petrodollars”) • Commercial/financial oligarchy dominated the economy • Industry; multinationals gained control over existing industries and opened processing industries (for Arab market) -> foreign capital competed with local industry -> external dependency -> import increased more than export -> double concentration (volume and share)

  6. Cont. Traboulsi • Agriculture • Concentration of control; • 25 brokers controlled 2/3 of the apple market • 20 brokers controlled 81% of market for citrus fruits • 2 firms controlled imports of insecticides and fertilisers • Agribusiness monopolies; beetroot/sugar and tobacco (both importers and controllers of local production!) • Importers taken over 85% of local market (only 15% of food consumption was locally produced) • Agricultural production driven to produce for external markets (fruits and poultry mainly) • End of 1950s: 50% of Lebanese lived off of agriculture By 1975: only 20% left in the sector  100.000 active farmers lost in less than 20 years

  7. Traboulsi; Social Effects • Emigration; hides high unemployment rates • Sharp increase in remittances (% of GNP) • High cost of living: • Doubled between 1967 and 1975 • Price of imported goods rose by 10-15% in 1972-73 • Property speculation -> raised land prices + imposed construction of luxury apartment buildings (eve of war: 40-50.000 empty luxury apts. in Beirut)

  8. Poverty belt • 500.000 poor inhabitants in Beirut • Most rural immigrants • Israeli raids in the south • Insufficient livelihood from agriculture due to lack of irrigation and transportation

  9. Sects and economy (Traboulsi) • Ratios of Christian to Muslim entrepreneurs in • Industry: 10:2 • Finance: 11:2 • Services: 16:2 (late 1950s) 1973: • Commercial firms: 75.5% Christians • Industrial firms: 67.5% Christians • Banking: 71% Christians • Industrial working class: 75 % Muslim

  10. Inequalities in Lebanon • Picard • 4% tied up 33% of personal income, 50% partook only 18% (1958) • Average income in southern Lebanon 1/5 of Beirut’s • Traboulsi: (late 60s/early 70s) • 79% of Lebanese received less than minimum income (estimated by Bishop Haddad) • Average income in Beirut $ 803, in the south $ 151 • Beirut & Mount Lebanon: 64% of private elementary schools, 73% of secondary schools, 100% universities • 65% of medical doctors were in Beirut (27% of pop.), only 3% in the Bekaa (13 % of pop.)

  11. Political protest, intellectual unrest • 1967 catalyst for protest and criticism in Arab world • Beirut ideal setting; educational institutions, liberal atmosphere and legislation • 1968 + Arab nationalism • Lebanon: quest for secularism – seen as key to modernization, democratization and civil rights • Political cleavages based on: • Communitarian question • Attitude toward the Palestinian resistance • Economic policy

  12. Three main groups • Reformists • Revising, but not abandonment of communitarianism • Reform of leadership practices within communities • Revolutionaries • The Lebanese National Movement • Conservatives (preserve) • Almost exclusively Christian, mainly Maronites

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