Lebanon Still Won't Let Palestinians Be Doctors, Lawyers or Engineers

Palestinians are barred from participating in much of Lebanon's economic life. Photo: EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH

Apartheid? Perhaps, but we aren’t talking about Israel. In the Jewish state, local “Palestinian” Arabs are not restricted in where they can go or which professions are open to them. Lebanon, however, is a different story.

In Lebanon, Palestinians are barred from becoming doctors, lawyers and engineers.

The policy dates back decades, when the PLO and a wave of Palestinian “refugees” effectively invaded Lebanon after being pushed out of Jordan.

Despite their long residence in the country, these Palestinians have never been granted Lebanese citizenship. What’s more, a Palestinian man who marries a Lebanese woman cannot obtain citizenship through her, nor can a Lebanese woman pass on citizenship to her Palestinian children. A Palestinian woman can obtain citizenship by marrying a Lebanese man.

And in Lebanon, citizenship is everything. Non-citizen residents of the county are forbidden to work as doctors, lawyers and engineers, among a list of some 70 prohibited occupations.

Never heard about this? That’s because the international community doesn’t seem to actually care about “Palestinian” Arabs or discrimination against them. All those international bodies established for the good of the “Palestinian” people only seem to jump into action when Jews are in the mix. When Palestinians are mistreated at the hands of other Arabs, we hear nary a word about it.

🇮🇱 Israel’s 2 million Arabs have equal rights—to vote & be elected, sit in government, pursue all professions.

🇱🇧 Lebanon bars Palestinians from being engineers, doctors, lawyers and 70 other occupations.@Amnesty reports accusing Lebanon of apartheid: 0https://t.co/WEljsWQi34

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) February 13, 2022