- 63.3% support the abolition of the sectarian political system in favor of a secular model of government
- 42.5% report direct personal or family harm as a result of recent conflict
BEIRUT: As Lebanon marks the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of civil war on April 13, a new poll has found that half of Lebanese respondents are concerned about the possibility of a resumption of conflict amid a fragile ceasefire.
The survey, conducted jointly by Annahar newspaper and International Information, surveyed 1,200 Lebanese citizens in all regions between March 25 and April 2.
The poll found that 51.7 percent expressed varying degrees of concern about a resumption of war, while 63.3 percent believed that creating a secular civil state by abolishing the sectarian political system represented the best way forward for the country.
A total of 42.5 percent of respondents reported direct harm to themselves or their family members, including death or injury (23.7 percent), property damage (19.9 percent), and forced displacement (19.5 percent).
Assessing the attitude of Lebanese towards Iran's role in Lebanon, 78.6% of respondents assessed this role as negative, and 75.3% named Israel as Lebanon's main adversary.
The poll comes as Israel has resumed attacks on Lebanon, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
In a statement, Annahar's leadership described the survey as an important tool for understanding contemporary realities by examining current and past issues, noting the importance of the half-century mark of the conflict, the full lessons of which have yet to be learned.
Public opinion remains deeply divided over how to characterize the war that broke out on April 13, 1975, with 40.7 percent describing it as a civil war in Lebanon and 38.5 percent seeing it as a war for others, “fought on our soil.”
A smaller proportion of respondents (8.8%) believe that this is primarily a war related to the problems of Palestinian settlements.
According to the survey, information about the war continued to be transmitted primarily through personal channels: 81.9 percent named family and friends as their main source of knowledge, followed by the media (44.8 percent), personal experience (28.3 percent) and academic sources (13.4 percent).
