Lebanon is afflicted by three major problems: political sectarianism – which has produced a system of patronage and corruption, Islamist parties such as Hizballah, which are today in many ways stronger than the state itself, and Syrian refugees. All three work to undermine security and national identity, and have turned Lebanon into a shell of its former self. How can Lebanon navigate these unprecedented political crises? What can Lebanon do against Iran’s destabilizing ambitions in the country?




Robert Rabil is professor of political science at Florida Atlantic University. He served as the Red Cross’s Chief of Emergency in the Baabda region, Beirut, during Lebanon’s civil war and was the project manager of the US State Department-funded Iraq Research and Documentation Project. He holds a BS in Computer Science from North Adams State College, an MA in Government from Harvard University Extension School and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University.