Saket Vora

Lebanon – A House Divided by Sandra Mackey came to me at a timely meeting (thanks Jamie). I started this book as the war between Israel and Hezbollah was entering its third week.

This book isn’t my first foray into the subject. I was first exposed to the history and politics of Lebanon (in particular to its 15 year long civil war) by my good friend Nader, whose father migrated to the US from Lebanon. I had since then read Thomas Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem, which was extremely illuminating. I had also done a lot of reading into the Israelis and the Palestinians from prior classwork.

This book by Sandra Mackey (a long-time journalist and author covering Middle East affairs) was originally published in 1988, two years before the end of the Lebanese Civil War. One of its strength is that it covers Lebanese history from the turn of the century up to around 1985, all with an eye of helping explain how the country imploded into an astonishing destructive and complicated civil war in 1975. What I liked most is that Mackey devotes entire chapters to each of the principles. For those who are not familiar with the Lebanese Civil War, it was extremely sectarian in nature; featuring over a dozen different parties differing in either religion, ethnicity, nationality, and loyalty. After retelling the overall country’s history, she covers the Christians (of whom the Maronites play the most prominent role, but the Melkites and Greek Orthodox are also present), the Muslims (the Sunnis, the Shia, and the Druze, though the Druze can hardly be called Muslim), the Palestinians, and the Foreign Powers (which include Israel, the Syrians, the Jordanians, the UN, the Multi National Force, the French, and the Americans).

She delves into each of these categories to help illustrate the reasons behind each party’s actions and stances throughout the conflict. A major theme throughout the book is that the turmoil in Lebanon’s history is largely a result of an identity crisis: is it part of the West or the Near East? Mediterranean or Arab? Each group approaches this crisis differently.

After reading several works on the Middle East conflict and in particular concerning Israel, I was curious to see if the book would be biased in anyway. Fortunately, nearly all the indigenous actors are given an even treatment. Only by observating certain adjective or adverb choices did I detect a small negative tilt against the Palestinians and the Israelis. But, it should be pointed out, neither of those two did anything to bring about peace, and Israel’s record in Lebanon is far from good.

Lebanon – A House Divided is an excellent read for those who wish to understand the tortured past of Lebanon and its dealing with its neighbors. It is not for those afraid by detail. By gaining a deeper understanding of the history of Lebanon and its tragic past, I find that I have a perspective on the current conflict that is sometimes at odds with other people. If I have learned anything from the research I’ve done, it is understanding that one should be careful about making definitive or grandiose claims about its people or actions without first gaining some understanding.

The Middle East is a place where history never fades into the past.