Lebanese Politics Increasingly Stunted by Saudi Iranian Rivalry

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Billboards across Beirut that have popped up over the past two weeks express a resounding “Thank You” in large text, alongside pictures of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. This gratitude, paid for by Lebanon’s Saudi-backed “Future Movement” party, refers to a recent $3 billion grant by Riyadh to the Lebanese military.

Analysts say the cash is an attempt by Saudi Arabia to counter regional rival Iran.

Lebanon has long been a theater for its neighbors’ disputes. But as the current crisis in Syria unfolds next door, many Lebanese see their political independence slipping away now more than ever.  Inside Syria, Saudi Arabia supports the country's majority Sunni opposition, while Shiite Iran backs the government of Bashar al-Assad.

Lebanon's political parties, also dominated by Saudi Arabia and Iran, remain deadlocked over forming a government, despite months of negotiations and a March 8 alliance that was backed by Iran, and another a week later supported by the Saudis.

Against this backdrop of political inaction, violence in Lebanon is increasing.

Syria-related clashes in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli have become more frequent and a series of car bombs have rocked the capital, Beirut. The rise in violence is partly tied to the involvement of the Shiite Hezbollah party in the Syrian war. For the past year, the Lebanese militia, largely funded and trained by Iran, has openly fought in Syria alongside the Assad government.

"Right now, people complain that Lebanese sovereignty is becoming relatively meaningless," says Lina Khatib, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. She says politics in Lebanon are increasingly polarized, and that more and more of the country's important political decisions are being made outside the country.

"Saudi Arabia and Iran each want to increase their influence in the region and this tug-of-war is being played out in Lebanon" Khatib adds.

Political commentator and satirist Karl Sharro sees the Beirut billboards of the Saudi king as demeaning.  “I decided to play on the idea of thanking a king” Sharro says, “and I extended it to all the kings.”

He created a set of rotating spoof billboards thanking "all the kings," from Persian and Assriyan emperors to the Lion King and Burger King. The photoshopped image was widely circulated on the Internet.  

"To me, it highlights the absurdity of this servile mentality and overdoing the public manifestations of gratitude" Sharro adds.

The dissatisfaction with the state of Lebanese politics is palpable, but so far it has not led to any actual change, says Khatib. "Even though a significant number of Lebanese citizens express dismay with the situation... these same Lebanese citizens are not taking much action in order to reform the system."

Aymann Mhanna, director of the Samir Kassir Foundation, a think tank based in Beirut, agrees. “People always complain about foreign intervention, but is anyone ready to take real action to produce any change? I'm not even sure… it’s like we've adapted to this political reality."

He says that outside countries have been trying to control Lebanese politics almost since the country's inception. Because intervention has been a part of the country's political history for so long, outside meddling in Lebanon has created a system that in turn necessitates more meddling, he adds: “The fact that sectarian parties are still way more powerful than the state makes it easier for intervention to continue."