Systemic, National and Leadership Factors in the Bilateral Relations of Syria and Lebanon

Systemic, National and Leadership Factors in the Bilateral Relations of Syria and Lebanon
SYSTEMIC
Systemic factors in the bilateral relationship between Lebanon and Syria are numerous, however for the focus of this paper I will discuss the three I regard as being the most influential on their relationship; Israel, The United States and The United Nations. The most influential variable in the relationship between Syria and Lebanon is Israel and their occupation of the Golan Heights along with their never-ending war with the Palestinians in the south of Lebanon. Syria was active in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war in which the Israelis took control of the Golan Heights and the city of Quneitra. This land is still hotly contested today by the Syrians and Israelis. In terms of the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, their right to stay lies in the interpretation of UN resolution 425. “The United Nations declared that Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon fulfilled the requirements o...