Mohanad Hage Ali is director of communications at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. He is the author of Nationalism, Transnationalism, and Political Islam: Hizbullah’s Institutional Identity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018). This week, Hage Ali wrote an article for the online Lebanese website Al-Modon in which he examined the main lines of a proposal French President Emmanuel Macron had brought with him to Beirut last week, when he visited the city in the aftermath of the horrific explosion at Beirut port. Diwan interviewed Hage Ali to discuss his article, whether the proposal is still on the table, and the issue of how regional rivalries are playing out in Lebanon today and affecting political developments.
Eye of the Storm, August, 12, 2020
In an interview, Mohanad Hage Ali discusses foreign intervention to resolve the Lebanese crisis, and its repercussions.
More work from Diwan
Syria’s Misunderstood Minority QuestionIn an interview, Peter Harling discusses the fate of religious communities in the Syrian transformation.
Decoding LebanonLebanon is facing a series of simultaneous financial, economic, and political shocks. The country stands at a critical juncture, as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese have fallen under the poverty line in recent months. The protest movement that began in October 2019, following the previous government’s decision to raise taxes, is regaining momentum in spite of the lockdown from the coronavirus pandemic. The Carnegie Middle East Center will offer analyses of the multiple crises afflicting Lebanon, explaining their causes, characteristics, consequences, and potential solutions.
Arms and the StateIn an interview, Marwan Muasher discusses why Arab governments should have a monopoly over weapons.
Washington’s Reckless AbandonmentRecent history illustrates why Lebanese officials are so wary of the United States.
