Can a moderate parliamentary democracy survive in the tensions of the Middle East? This is the question confronting Lebanon in the face of military raids by its neighbors and potential civil war. Israeli attacks and Palestinian pressures create a continuing crisis which has undermined the foundations of both Lebanese moderation and democracy.

Since independence Lebanon has maintained its position as a nonmilitaristic democracy supporting moderate solutions to the conflicts in the Middle East. Despite great pressures it has remained Western-oriented and has withstood the siren calls of radical socialism and militant nationalism. Yet when Lebanon was under threat and attack, it received remarkably little concrete support from the major Western powers. One result has been a growing frustration among Lebanese, many of whom believe that no matter what they do they will be attacked and possibly destroyed by forces beyond their control.