Do Lebanese Really Want to Normalize Relations With Israel?

When we talk about Lebanon, we are used to thinking in terms of “us” versus “them,” of black and white. But the reality on the ground, as revealed by Lebanese Christian journalist Marianna Al-Khouri, is far more complex. On her tours through the streets of Lebanon, she discovered that opinions are far from uniform: not all Christians embrace the idea of peace, and not all Shiites are firmly opposed.

One of the moments in the report is a meeting with an elderly Shiite man, a resident of the south, who lost his home, his flock and his olive trees in the fighting. Despite the terrible loss and his personal pain, he expresses a sincere longing for peace. It is a powerful reminder that the desire for calm and normal life sometimes crosses sectors and borders, even in places where we would not expect it.

Alongside these deeper thoughts, Al-Khouri raises a funny and interesting point about our culture. For many Lebanese, visiting a bar in an Israeli city and drinking beer is seen as the height of “normalization.” One might ask why beer drinking in particular? אולי it is because in their eyes we are seen as a Western, permissive country where alcohol flows like water, unlike their own culture. In the end, it seems the beer is just an excuse for the biggest question of all: will we ever be able to sit there, or them here, without worrying about what the neighbors will say?