A new thorough survey conducted by Lebanese firm Ad-Duwaliyyah li-l-Ma`lumat found that despite their own sectarian feuds and divisions, Lebanese do share common views on foreign affairs, more or less.

A lot has been made among Washington’s chattering class that the split, or as of now possibly previous split, between Sunni and Shiite Muslim Arabs is a gain for Israel for it bequeaths, the theory goes, an alliance between Sunni Arabs and Israel against the common enemy that is Shia Iran.
While some Sunni Arab governments are in a subtle and ad-hoc tactical agreement with Israel in viewing Iran as a regional threat, Arab governments are cynical bodies concerned exclusively with maintaining power rather than being mirrors of Arab public opinion. Most Arabs, even a lot of those prejudiced toward Shias, are not fearful of an Iranian bomb. Iranian efforts in the region appear to most Arabs, if such ambitious do exist, to threaten not the Sunni world, but deeply unpopular Arab regimes whom fear that a confident Iran would start funding a domestic opposition. Something some Arabs would welcome to be rid of their oppressive leaders. Furthermore, most Sunni Arabs find the idea of an alliance with Israel while Palestinians are still occupied and against a Muslim country no less to be unthinkable. Despite the new neo-conservative talking-point, most Sunni Arabs still see Israel, not Iran as Israeli President Shimon Peres recently claimed on CNN, as the enemy. The survey bears this out across sectarian lines in Lebanon.

Asked which nation is an enemy to Lebanon,

93.9% Lebanese consider Israel an enemy (64.8% consider the U.S. to be an enemy). Broken down into religious groups: 96.7% of Sunnis consider Israel an enemy, less than a point difference from the 97.4% of Shiites (89% of Maronite Catholics concur that Israel is the enemy). Clearly, there is no ground for a Sunni-Israeli or “Enemy” alliance. This poll reflects the recent decision of the Sunni-led Lebanese government to welcome the Shiite, Iranian-backed party-cum-militia Hezbollah, leader of the minority March 8 opposition, into the government in a speech during which the Sunni leader of the majority March 14 coalition, Sa’ad Hariri, referred to Israel as “the enemy.” Prior to the June 8 election, Western commentators touted the victory of March 14 as a win for rightist Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Many right-wing Lebanese Christians, raised in a culture of hostility to their Muslim neighbors in a sectarian, civil war-torn nation, living in exile in America have joined the neo-conservatives chorus to call for the disarmament of Hezbollah. Neo-conservatives view Hezbollah’s Iranian and Syrian-provided arms to be a threat to Israel; defending Israel being a new-conservative core value. Rightist Christians fear Hezbollah’s militia threatens Lebanon’s Christians. Most Lebanese, even a majority of Christians, disagree. 48.2% of Lebanese consider Israel to be a threat, while only 5.5% express that sentiment with regards to Hebzollah’s arms. It was Hezbollah’s resistance that ended 18-years of Israeli occupation of south Lebanon. Furthermore, Israel’s war against Lebanon in 2006 resulted in the death of over 1,000 Lebanese and Israel has bombed Lebanese cities and town long before the emergence not only of Hezbollah but even the armed Palestinian presence in the country. Given this history, it is not surprising Israel, not Hezbollah, is viewed as a threat to Lebanese well-being.

And, finally, when asked which nation is an ally it was Qatar, the tiny Gulf monarchy that brokered the political peace in 2008 between the aforementioned feuding blocs, that came out on top with 86.8% of Lebanese considering it the most liked foreign nation. Iran came in third with 68.6% of Lebanese expressing a favorable opinion.

Neo-conservatives and Israel will have to find another people to convince that is it Iran and domestic arms, and not Israel, which just finished killing 400 Palestinian children, that is the enemy.