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If Israel was a mistake, then what about Lebanon?

JL;DR SUMMARY Renowned writer Ben Koan critiques anti-Zionist sentiments by questioning the foundations of numerous Middle Eastern states, focusing on Lebanon as a case study. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Middle EastHezbollahLebanonAnti ZionismOttoman EmpireDemographicsNational IdentitySectarianismGreater Lebanon

Places mentioned

Israel
"The latest Middle Eastern hostilities pit Israel (an economic, technological, and military powerhouse) against Hezbollah (a theocratic, Iranian-sponsored militia in a tribally fractured failed state)."
Lebanon
"But if were questioning the legitimacy of Middle Eastern states, why stop at Israel? Every country in the Levant was carved out of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Each has borders that were drawn by European powers."
Iraq
"Modern states like Iraq and Syria were not incipient nations yearning to be free."
Syria
"Modern states like Iraq and Syria were not incipient nations yearning to be free."
Jordan
"Jordan, for example, largely originated as a consolation prize for the Hashemite dynasty, which had sided with the British but was driven out of the Arabian Peninsula by the House of Saud."
Kuwait
"Thus a U.S.-led coalition fought to keep Iraq from absorbing Kuwait."

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Retrieved 2026-06-24 05:31:05 UTC
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