Lebanese poll: Majority believes Hezbollah's arms harm national security

A majority of Lebanese civilians perceive Hezbollah's armed presence as detrimental to national security, according to a recent YouGov survey. The poll, conducted in three waves and published by the Council for Secure America, found that 51% of respondents believe Hezbollah's weapons harm Lebanon's security.

Further highlighting concerns, only 11% of Lebanese participants felt that Hezbollah's armed presence actually improved the country's security. A substantial portion of respondents declined to answer this question. The survey also revealed that 58% of Lebanese support President Aoun's initiatives to bolster the Lebanese Army and negotiate the disarmament of Hezbollah, aiming to consolidate all armed forces under government authority. This support, while still strong, saw a slight decrease from January figures.

Public sentiment regarding potential peace and normalization with Israel remains divided. While 41% of Lebanese predict eventual peace, only 32% would support normalizing relations after a long-term resolution to the "Palestine" issue. Christians (43%) expressed more support for normalization than Muslims (28%), with both groups showing increased warmth towards the idea since earlier surveys.

Despite the divisions on normalization, 40% of respondents believe that normalized ties with Israel could benefit the Lebanese economy, compared to 22% who think it would be harmful. Older respondents (over 45) were more likely to foresee economic growth and stability from normalization. However, a significant portion (32%) still advocate for maintaining laws that criminalize dealings with Israel.