In the context of the Middle East conflict, the Lebanese Syrian Palestinian peace perspective often contrasts sharply with the conventional Western meaning of the term. For these nations and authorities, βpeaceβ is not simply the formal cessation of hostilities or the signing of a treaty with Israel. Instead, it is a deeply political stance rooted in decades of displacement, occupation, and perceived injustice.
According to this viewpoint, peace is not the absence of war but the refusal to normalize relations with what they see as an unjust systemβZionism, which they associate with land theft and the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories.
An analogy often used is that of ignoring responsibilities: the temporary relief one feels when avoiding a duty, even though the underlying problem remains unresolved. In this sense, βpeaceβ becomes the psychological comfort of not engaging with what they view as an illegitimate status quo.
This understanding is shaped by historical realities: Lebanonβs history of conflict with Israel, Syriaβs loss of the Golan Heights, and the Palestinian displacement since 1948.
From their standpoint, genuine peace requires the restoration of rights, an end to occupation, and acknowledgment of historical grievances. Without these, they see any peace as a faΓ§adeβquiet on the surface but unjust underneath.
For proponents of the Lebanese Syrian Palestinian peace position, βpeace with Zionismβ is impossible, as it would mean accepting the permanence of a system they believe was built on dispossession. Until those core issues are addressed, peace remains for them not reconciliation, but resistanceβa refusal to legitimize what they see as ongoing injustice.
