George Wardini returns to The Beirut Banyan.

We look back to 1983 and discuss similarities in the relative calm Lebanon experienced following Israel's siege of Beirut and expulsion of Arafat from Lebanon.

We also examine post-2024 war developments and security risks related to attempts at disarmament, what the potential of a wider Arab-Israeli peace deal under the Trump administration could mean for Lebanon, the need for the government to make Lebanon's case against Iran's inclinations to hold onto Hezbollah as a proxy militia, and why caution over confrontation remains the preferred mode of governance.

George Wardini is the founder and director of PolyBlog.

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:59 What changed

6:17 Caution vs Confrontation

11:37 Question of disarmament

14:50 Trump & Iran

22:15 “Peace”

28:59 Conflicting message

35:11 Measuring success

38:47 Lebanon’s case

42:27 Current govt support

47:21 Abnormal state

51:09 Network of interests

53:04 Personal evolution