The protests may not lead to political change, but they have already transcended Lebanon’s traditional social divides.


Lina Khatib is the Head of the Middle East/North Africa programme at Chatham House.
The protests may not lead to political change, but they have already transcended Lebanon’s traditional social divides.

Following the long-awaited election, the same old political elites continue to dominate Lebanon’s political scene.

The assassination of a Hezbollah operative in Syria last week has to do with strategic regional rivalries.

Lebanese citizens feel helpless in a society in which corruption becomes the only means of survival.

When it comes to Saudi foreign policy, the forthcoming succession is not the most crucial – the one to follow is.
![Little change can be expected from the Saudi Arabian foreign policy, regardless of who the king is [Reuters]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/201412961757621580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
It is time for the US to take responsibility for the failures of its Middle East policies.
![Iraqis loyal to cleric Moqtada al-Sadr vow to fight ISIL in a show of strength in a military parade [Getty]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/201462665059958734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Limiting support for the Syrian regime might be the least costly compromise Iran is likely to make.
![The coming elections is likely to be Bashar al-Assad's last, writes Khatib [EPA]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2014521113049732734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Bashar al-Assad’s support for armed groups might lead to his regime’s demise.
![The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has cooperated with Bashar al-Assad's regime, writes the author [AP]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/201432910421291734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
The real deal is being sealed behind the scenes at Geneva II.
![The conference has been the first platform to bring together the regime, the opposition, and their respective international backers [EPA]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/20141266825258734_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Lebanon is, once again, the battlefield of a proxy war to redefine new power relations in the region.
![The latest bombing in Beirut killed a moderate politician, a rare commodity in Lebanese politics [EPA]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/20131227131631826580_20.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)