Lebanese Public Opinion Amidst a New Cycle of Violence

On December 1, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution hosted the release of the results from the latest University of Maryland/Zogby International public opinion poll in Lebanon. Following the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, an outspoken and prominent critic of Syria, Lebanon’s already fragile government is on the brink of collapse and renewed violence. The poll, taken just before the assassination, assesses the current views of the Lebanese people, measuring differences among the key Lebanese sects – Sunni, Shiite, Christian, Druze – on issues such as: the recent war with Israel; attitudes toward Hezbollah, the United States, Israel, Iraq, and Iran; opinions on the role of religion in politics; and other regional and global issues.

Shibley Telhami, Saban Center nonresident senior fellow and Anwar Sadat professor at the University of Maryland, presented the survey findings. David Ignatius, a columnist for The Washington Post and Hisham Milhem, Washington correspondent for the Lebanese daily An-Nahar, provided commentary on the findings. Former Ambassador to Israel and Saban Center Director Martin Indyk moderated the panel discussion.