The Rulers of Lebanon and How They Got On Their Seat Of Power Fighting Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                    Biblical Days

           Jezebel (d: 843 BCE) she was able to influence her husband, King Ahab of Israel into anything.  

.  There was a time when they were friends: The king Hiram of Tyre sent artisans and cedar wood to King Solomon of Israel to help build the Temple.  The 2 kings jointly exploited the commerce between Elath and Ophir via the Red Sea.  

The Tyrian princess Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon,  married King Ahab, son of King Omri of Israel,  who ruled from 876- 853 BCE and introduced Baal worship to the Israelites, and the religious and cultural influence of Tyre penetrated to Israel and even to Judah. The Jewish population in Lebanon was ancient.  There have been Jews living today in Beirut.  There had been Jewish communities in Tripoli, Tyre, and Sidon.  They were engaged in commerce;  trading.

     Alexander the Great in red and white in the Temple in Jerusalem 

 By Assyrian and Babylonian history, Tyre was denounced by Ezekiel (Ch. 27), and suffered a series of Sieges and in 332 BCE, was captured by Alexander the Great.                            

                                   Modern Days

The situation today is impossible.  Lebanon has no power over their country at all.  Hezbollah rules.. It hasn't always been like this.

Lebanon rules by 1. The High-Level Power Sharing ("The Troika")

By unwritten convention (originating from the 1943 National Pact), the three highest offices in the nation are strictly divided among the largest communities: 

• President: Always a Maronite Christian.
• Prime Minister: Always a Sunni Muslim.
• Speaker of Parliament: Always a Shia Muslim.

From 1947-1949, Israel's War of Independence, Lebanese forces invaded Israel along with their peers.  In 1944, the middle of WWII, there was the population of 6,261 Jews in Lebanon.  After 1948 this number grew by Jews entering from Syria, and the population by 1964 was from 5,000 to 7,000l.  After 67's Six Day War, the number lessened,                       

Hezbollah

Most of the 1,000 remaining Jews by 1975  left during the Civil War and by 1990 less than 100 remained.  Hezbollah was formed in 1982 by Lebanese Shiite clerics, heavily backed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.  Israel invaded Lebanon in June 1982 (often referred to as the 1982 Lebanon War - Wikipedia or Operation Peace for Galilee) to stop cross-border attacks, destroy the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the region, and install a pro-Israel government in Lebanon. 

                    Bachir Gemayel -"General" Gemayel allied with Israel and his forces fought the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Syrian Army.

Two men served as President of Lebanon in 1982: Élias Sarkis and Amine Gemayel. A third president-elect, Bachir Gemayel, was assassinated before taking office.  He was elected president on 23 August 1982, but was assassinated before taking office on 14 September, via a bomb explosion by Habib Shartouni, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

 Championing the Shiite population—historically marginalized by the country's ruling Christian and Sunni elite—Hezbollah established itself as a premier resistance force fighting to expel Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, which Israel ultimately withdrew from in 2000. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000 primarily because the 18-year occupation had become a severe military and political burden. The prolonged presence in the self-declared "security zone" proved unsustainable due to escalating guerrilla warfare from Hezbollah, mounting Israeli casualties, and a growing domestic protest movement demanding troops be brought home,

The Lebanese Parliament: Confessional Seats: or how they decide things, how they vote.   

The Lebanese Parliament is a unicameral body consisting of 128 directly elected Deputies. In accordance with the Constitution, all parliamentary seats are divided equally between Christians and Muslims.  

The seats are further sub-divided into eleven confessional branches (four within Islam and seven within Christianity). The distribution of the 128 seats among the eleven confessions listed here is formalized under the 2008 Election Law.

The single seat for Christian Minorities is intended to provide parliamentary representation for six recognized confessional groups. Lebanese citizens of any other religion, including two that are formally recognized by the State, are unable to be elected to Parliament.

Today:  The President of Lebanon is Joseph Aoun, Christian.  Again and yet again, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire that went into effect at 4:00 p.m. local time today. However, the situation dramatically flared overnight when an intense exchange of fire broke out just as diplomats were attempting to announce the fresh truce.Impact: The fierce exchange of fire overnight and into today resulted in the deaths of at least 18 civilians and four Israeli soldiers.   For the most recent flare-up between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli officials stated they launched strikes in southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah killing four Israeli soldiers in an attack on a tank.

 Diplomatic Fallout: Conflict Flared: The situation repeated itself as Israeli forces unleashed lethal salvos just as a ceasefire was being finalized, a recurring pattern in the conflict.  Let it be known that Hezbollah strikes first and then Israel follows up to beat the heck out of them;  teach them a lesson of STOP FIRING !!!!!

The sudden flare-up prompted Iran to suspend planned peace and de-escalation talks with the United States in Switzerland. [What a way for Iran to get out of it!].  Massive Missile Arsenal: Hezbollah possesses a vast, highly precise arsenal of tens of thousands of rockets capable of striking deep into Israeli population centers, critical infrastructure, and military bases within minutes. An initial strike would trigger this retaliation, resulting in significant civilian casualties and infrastructural damage.  Israel is on top of this.  They know of this danger. 

I can just see Iran laughing like crazy, having Israel by their bootstraps, caught if they attack Hezbollah and caught if they don't attack and defend themselves.   I believe Netanyahu just gave the order to not attack defensively for the present.  ???

Although Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, both sides have continued to report strikes and violations across the region, with Israeli officials warning that they will independently resume military action if they deem the truce conditions broken

Lebanon's Life-lines, Men Not To Be Forgotten

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

                                             President Bashir Gemayel in 1982

Armed Lebanese conflict linked to the siege of nearby Gaza saw Israeli air strikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion by Israeli forces in 2024. Lebanese civilians struggling to recover from that conflict are again being severely affected in early March 2026.  

Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shia militant group designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, has entrenched itself in Lebanon by operating as both a political party and a powerful armed militia. Since 1992, it has participated in the government while maintaining an independent arsenal, often overriding state authority, controlling areas like southern Lebanon, and acting as an Iranian proxy.

Lebanese fighters, primarily from the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, have been actively engaged in conflicts along the Israel-Lebanon border in "solidarity" with Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. While not directly operating as a large force within Gaza, Hezbollah, with estimated tens of thousands of fighters, is a major military force threatening Israel from the north.

Lebanon has faced crisis after crisis in recent years, including 

an influx of refugees from the Syrian civil war.  The Syrian Civil War began in March 2011, stemming from pro-democracy protests that escalated into an armed conflict after the government crackdown on demonstrators. The conflict intensified into a full-scale civil war by 2012 and lasted for over a decade, with major shifts in power, foreign intervention, and the eventual collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024.

the Beirut port blast in 2020, The August 4, 2020, Beirut port blast was caused by the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored improperly at Warehouse 12, killing over 220 people. Investigations point to criminal negligence by senior Lebanese political and security officials who were aware of the dangerous material, with no single party officially charged as of 2025

a cholera outbreak in 2022, 

and an ongoing economic crisis that has resulted in skyrocketing poverty and the collapse of essential public services. Public services in Lebanon have collapsed due to a severe economic crisis, hyperinflation, corruption, and political gridlock, with the lira losing over 98% of its value. The state cannot afford to maintain infrastructure, leading to massive shortages in electricity, water, healthcare, and education. This Hezbollah cause is the same that has happened today in Iran tothe people.  They, because of their demonstrations, have also lost theirElectricity, water, etc but have also been mowed down by the governmentlosing over 30,000 of these young people.  

Does this what used to be a state of Lebanon have a  president?  Joseph Aoun is the President of Lebanon, taking office on January 9, 2025, after a two-year presidential vacuum. In 2015, Aoun was appointed commander of the 9th Brigade deployed on the border with Israel. Two years later in March 2017, he was officially appointed commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, replacing Jean Kahwaji. During this time, Aoun gained national popularity due to his leadership style and his role in fighting terrorists groups like Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front.

 President Michel Aoun Lebanese politician and former general who served as the 13th president of Lebanon from 31 October 2016 to 30 October 2022.  Since 2022, Joseph Aoun was consistently reported as one of the possible presidential candidates to succeed President Michel Aoun in the presidential election.  Joseph Aoun, who became president of Lebanon in January 2025, is not related to his predecessor, Michel Aoun. Although they share the same Lebanese Maronite Christian surname and both served as military leaders before becoming president, they are distinct individuals with no family connection.  I doubt if they've had an genetic testing, however.  The Aoun surname is a common and established family name in Lebanon, particularly prevalent among the Christian population. It is frequently cited as one of the notable family names in the country, often linked to prominent political and social figures in Lebanese society. 

A former Lebanese Army Commander (2017–2025), he is a 61-year-old Maronite Christian who assumed the role following a parliament election, becoming the 14th president. Aoun is not the old guardian Christian Marionite I used to know of.                             

Major Haddad  was born to a Greek Catholic family in Marjayoun. He received part of his training at Fort Benning in the United States.

 I am referring to Major Saad Haddad, a Christian Maronite officer in the Lebanese Army who broke away to form the Free Lebanon Army (later the South Lebanon Army) with support from Israel. Role: He guarded Israel's northern border from Palestinian fedayeen and later Hezbollah attacks, creating a "security belt" in southern Lebanon, collaborating closely with the Israel Defense Forces. 

Saad Haddad was the first officer to defect from the Lebanese Army to ally himself with Israel, a defection which led to the formation of the pro-Israel Free Lebanon Army, based in a corridor, the "Security Zone" along Lebanon's southern border from 1982 after Israel's invasion of Lebanon. This force, which called itself the Free Lebanon Army (but was later renamed the South Lebanon Army (SLA) under leader Antoine Lahad in May 1980), was intended to prevent infiltration into Israel of Palestinian guerrillas. In 1978, Israel invaded Lebanon, clearing out Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) strongholds as far north as the Litani River.                                                                    

             President Amin  Gemayel, b: January 22, 1942

                       Bachir Gemayel, born on November 10, 1947,

 At the start of the Lebanese Civil War, the Phalanges were a member of the Lebanese Front, allied with Syria against the leftist National Movement. However, Syria became their enemy, while they started receiving the support of Israel. This phase saw the rise of Amine's brother, Bachir, who had disputes with Amine about the military leadership, such as uniting the Christian militias by force.
                       President Bachir Gemayel of Lebanon

In 1982 Bachir was elected to presidency but was assassinated before taking office on the same day.  Gemayel is described as the most controversial figure in the history of Lebanon. He remains popular among Maronite Christians, where he is seen as a "martyr" and an "icon". Conversely, he has been criticized for committing alleged war crimes and accused of treason for his relations with Israel.  

DEATH:  On 14 September 1982, Gemayel was addressing fellow Phalangists at their headquarters in Achrafieh for the last time as their leader and for the last time as commander of the Lebanese Forces. At 4:10 PM, a bomb was detonated, killing Gemayel and 26 other Phalange politicians. The first testimonies stated that Gemayel had left the premises on foot or in an ambulance (bearing the number 90). A report from a hospital came to say he had just arrived. Then the commander of military intelligence Jonny Abdu reported that Bachir Gemayel had been taken to a hospital in Haifa by helicopter. The search and rescue teams on the field were unable to find him or his body.  His body was finally identified five and a half hours after the explosion by a Mossad agent in a church close to the site of the explosion where the dead were being collected. The face on the body was unrecognizable; he was identified by the white-gold wedding ring he was wearing and two letters he was carrying addressed to Bachir Gemayel. It was concluded that he had been one of the first people moved to the church after the explosion. Rumors persisted that Gemayel had survived, until it was confirmed the following morning by the Lebanese Prime Minister Shafik Wazzan that he had indeed been killed in the attack. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation blamed the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) for the attack.

September 14, 1982

The news of the cowardly assassination of Bashir Gemayel, President-elect of Lebanon, is a shock to the American people and to civilized men and women everywhere. This promising young leader had brought the light of hope to Lebanon. We condemn the perpetrators of this heinous crime against Lebanon and against the cause of peace in the Middle East. Our deepest sympathy goes to Mrs. Bashir Gemayel and their son, the entire Gemayel family, to President Elias Sarkis, to his government, and to the people of Lebanon. We join with them in mourning.

The tragedy will be all the greater if men of good will in Lebanon and in countries friendly to Lebanon permit disorder to continue in this war-torn country. This must not happen. The United States Government stands by Lebanon with its full support in this hour of need.

Note: President-elect Gemayel was killed by a bomb explosion at his Beirut headquarters.

In 1983, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) was led by Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Ibrahim Tannous, who served in this position from December 8, 1982, to June 22, 1984. Under President Amin Gemayel, Tannous focused on restructuring the army with U.S. assistance, supported by Military Wiki | Fandom and Mountain War (Lebanon) - Wikipedia. 

• Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Ibrahim Tannous (8 Dec 1982 – 22 Jun 1984).
• Context: The army was heavily involved in reconstructing its brigades during the Mountain War (Lebanon) - Wikipedia.
• Note: This refers to the official national army, not the separate Christian militia known as the "Lebanese Forces."

 In 1983, Aoun joined the Lebanese Armed Forces and mainly received military training abroad in Syria and the United States, where he underwent counter-terrorism in 2008, and also in 2013 in Lebanon. In 1990, Aoun served in the Lebanese Commando Regiment in the Lebanese Armed Forces and participated in the War of Elimination where he fought for Michel Aoun. The commander of the unit, Bassam Gergi, was killed, and thus Aoun took over and became the commander.  In 2015, Aoun was appointed commander of the 9th Brigade deployed on the border with Israel.

The Lebanese Army, under Aoun's direction, was tasked with confiscating weapons and dismantling unauthorized military facilities in southern Lebanon. This is in line with the ceasefire agreement following the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which requires the army to extend state authority and remove all unauthorized arms caches and outposts, regardless of the group controlling them.  

On March 2, 2026, following the 2026 Iran conflict, Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel, causing Israel to retaliate and conduct airstrikes against the organization in Lebanon. He condemned the attacks of Hezbollah on Israel, saying they undermine Lebanon’s efforts to avoid dangerous confrontations and pull the country into broader regional wars. He later stated that a recent Cabinet decision gives the Lebanese state sole authority over war and peace matters, prohibiting any illegal military or security actions. He stated that the Lebanese Army and security forces are tasked with enforcing this decision nationwide. Aoun also urged the Quintet committee to pressure Israel to stop attacks on Lebanon and reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to ceasefire provisions while expressing readiness to resume negotiations with civilian and international involvement.  The Quintet Committee on Lebanon is a five-nation diplomatic group comprising the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar. Formed to address Lebanon's severe political and economic crises, the group focuses on breaking the presidential deadlock, supporting the Lebanese Army, and encouraging structural reforms.

Resource:

https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/emergencies/lebanon-appeal/what-is-happening-in-lebanon/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_source=google-grant&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_tgt=&hsa_grp=&hsa_src=x&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_mt=&h