A new CSA survey finds Lebanese opposition to normalization with Israel has collapsed: just 19% now oppose it, down from 31% in January, and a 40% plurality favor repealing the laws criminalizing dealings with Israel.
New York, June 8, 2026. Opposition among Lebanese citizens to normalizing relations with Israel has fallen sharply over the past five months, and a plurality of Lebanese now favor repealing the laws that criminalize dealings with their southern neighbor, according to a new survey of Lebanese public opinion released today by the Council for a Secure America (CSA).
Asked how they would view normalization of diplomatic or economic relations with Israel in the event of a long-term resolution to the Palestinian issue, just 19% of Lebanese now express opposition, down from 31% in January, while 32% voice support. For the first time in CSA’s tracking, support for normalization outweighs opposition.
“For years the conventional wisdom held that Lebanese society was immovably opposed to any relationship with Israel. This data demolishes that assumption,” said Jennifer Sutton, Executive Director of the Council for a Secure America. “When Lebanese are asked to imagine normalization in the context of a durable resolution for the Palestinians, opposition has been cut nearly in half since January, and a clear plurality now wants the laws criminalizing contact with Israel off the books. That is not a marginal shift; it’s the public laying the groundwork for a different future.”
The survey documents a broad recalibration of Lebanese attitudes toward Israel, Hezbollah, and the country’s own trajectory:
- A 40% plurality believe Lebanon should repeal its laws criminalizing dealings with Israel; only 22% would keep them;
- A 40% plurality believe normalization would help the Lebanese economy, nearly double the 22% who believe it would cause harm;
- 59% say Hezbollah’s military presence has a negative impact on Lebanon’s security, against just 11% who view it as positive;
- 58% support President Joseph Aoun’s efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Army and negotiate Hezbollah’s disarmament so that all armed forces operate under government authority; and
- A plurality, 41%, now consider eventual peace between Israel and Lebanon likely, versus 27% who think it unlikely.
The softening of opposition has been driven in part by Lebanon’s Muslim population, the Council noted. Since January, Muslim opposition to normalization has fallen from 31% to 23%, while Muslim support has risen from 19% to 28%. Christian support climbed from 37% to 43% over the same period.
“What we are watching is the logic of the Abraham Accords reaching the eastern Mediterranean,” Ms. Sutton said. “A majority of Lebanese now see Hezbollah’s arms as a liability to their own security and back President Aoun’s push to bring every weapon under state control. A plurality believe normalization would strengthen their economy. The appetite for integration, stability, and prosperity is there.”
President Aoun continues to command a plurality’s approval, though his standing has eased: 46% rate his performance positively in June, down from a 57% peak in January, with the decline concentrated among younger Lebanese.
The Council for a Secure America (CSA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to strengthen U.S. national security by educating on the inextricable link between U.S. energy security, national security, and diplomacy.