Lebanese overwhelmingly oppose normalisation with Israel, poll shows

A poll by Arab Barometer has indicated overwhelming opposition in Lebanon to normalisation deals between Israel and Arab states.

The nonpartisan research network found that 73 percent of Lebanese citizens oppose the agreements made between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, and 79 percent oppose the Israeli peace agreement with Morocco, according to their Lebanon 2021 Country Report.

The network, which aims to provide insights into the social attitudes of citizens of Middle Eastern and North African countries, also found Lebanese Christians were at least 30 percent more likely to support the Abraham Accords - the US-brokered agreements which normalised ties between the Jewish state and the Arab states in September 2020 - than Lebanese Muslims.

"Only one-in-five Lebanese favour the peace agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, respectively, while just 14 percent favour the peace deal with Morocco," the report states.

The majority of the Lebanese population sampled in the poll, 53 percent, strongly opposed the normalisation of relations between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain.

An even larger majority, 61 percent, strongly opposed the normalisation between the Israel and Morocco.

Lebanese Christians were also 42 percent more likely to support Israeli normalisation with the UAE and Bahrain (45 percent) than Lebanese Muslims (three percent).

Arab Barometer, which conducted telephone surveys with 3,000 Lebanese citizens between July 2020 and March 2021, said its findings are nationally representative.

No peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon currently exists.