LEBANESE – EGYPTIAN RELATIONS. 1952 - 1970

Nasser M. KALAWOUN

This thesis concerns the evolution of relations between Egypt and Lebanon during the 1952 – 70  period. It focuses on the attempt of President Jamal ‘Abdul Nasser to impose Egyptian hegemony on successive Lebanese governments as a part of his drive to control the Arab political system. This attempt brought Nasser to create a power base among Lebanese Muslims in order to check the Lebanese regime’s traditional inclination towards the west.

Although the Lebanese regime was able to manipulate the Iraqi-Egyptian rivalry between 1952-55, it proved impossible to do so after President Nasser opposed the Baghdad pact. This development placed the Lebanese regime, as well as other undecided Arab states, on the defensive in their relations with Egypt.

The Suez war of November 1956 ushered the start of political conflict between the Lebanese and Egyptian governments over the nature of relations with the west. President Sham’un viewed his acceptance or the Eisenhower Doctrine as an expression of his will to conduct relations with the west free from Egyptian diktat. As a result, President Nasser held an informal political alliance with the political opponents of Sham’un in Lebanon and worked together against Sham’un foreign policy drive.

 The union of Syria and Egypt in February 1958, forming the United Arab republic (UAR),accentuated the internal divisions between the government and opposition in Lebanon and led subsequently to the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war of 1958. The Lebanese-UAR conflict was taken to regional and international arenas, culminating in the US military intervention of July 15, 1958 – to  protect the Lebanese regime.

The period of co-existence between the Lebanese and the UAR governments began after Fu’ad Shihab succeeded Sham’un as president of Lebanon in September 1958. This process continued well after Syria’s cessation from the UAR in October 1961, and proved to be beneficial for both Egypt and Lebanon. For Lebanon, Egypt became a shield from the Arab radical forces of Syria, Iraq and Palestinian guerillas. For Egypt, Lebanon became a favourable ground to launch political and media campaigns against rival regimes in the Arab East.