The success of Prime Minister Najib Mikati in forming a government, where his predecessor-designate Saad Hariri had failed after trying for months to craft a political deal with Hezbollah, marks a clear tilt toward Damascus.

A healthy majority of people in Lebanon continue to reject the sectarian, clannish, and quasi-tribal order of Lebanese politics, and the US should use Global Magnitsky sanctions against the country’s corrupt rulers.

The majority of Lebanese would welcome a peaceful settlement of pending border issues with Israel. But many understandably fear how the negotiations are unfolding.

Once more, Lebanon’s imposed hostage status to Iran comes to light with the latest normalizations between Israel and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Washington and the West need to stop neglecting Lebanon, primarily for the sake of their own strategic and regional interests.

In a conversation with Philos Project President Robert Nicholson, Habib C. Malik discussed what makes Lebanese Christians unique, the country’s role in the Middle East, US foreign policy oversights, Christian engagement with Islam, and advice he would give to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.