Lebanese sceptical Israeli polls will bring change, end occupation of south

Beirut, Lebanon – As Israel’s October 27 election nears, so does the possibility that the government that has overseen the invasion and reoccupation of southern Lebanon could be deposed.But for people in Lebanon, optimism that a change in the Israeli government will bode well for Israel’s neighbours is low.“I don’t think anything major – or at all – will change for Lebanon even if there’s a change in [Israeli] leadership,” said Beirut resident Fouad Debs.“Any internal change might lead to small, insignificant changes just to show the outside world that Israeli society and politics are not messed up or evil,” added the lawyer.For many in Lebanon, Israel’s history of airspace violations, ground invasions and occupation has led to a general atmosphere of distrust, regardless of who is in charge of the country.“Proof is what people [in Israel] are saying as the elections [approach],” said Karim Safieddine, a Beirut-based nonresident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.“No one is promising withdrawal, and no one is addressing south Lebanon as a crisis or a mistake,” he added, noting that the “general Israeli establishment looks at Lebanon as its prize”.Israel and the L...