Where Made in Italy is worth more

Since 1976 Italy has been the top European trade partner in Lebanon.

In the streets and bars of Beirut, Italian ears can’t help but pick up on phrases like “All roads lead to Rome” or “The Italians are to blame”, overheard often in Lebanese conversations.

The former adage, known the world over, dates back to the days of the Roman Empire. The origins of the second, says Lebanese historian and archaeologist Nina Jidejian, “do not refer to the Italians’ decision to place traffic lights along our streets, which has led to chaos, but to the Italian bombing of the Ottoman fleet anchored in the port of Beirut in February of 1912”.

The shared traits of these sayings bear witness to the strong ties between Italy and Lebanon, whose close relationship has helped write the history of the Mediterranean: from the Phoenician domination of maritime trade and the Roman conquests to the colonies established by the Maritime republics in the Middle Ages and right up to the modern-day trade relations between the two countries. 

The relationship also marked a fundamental period in Lebanese history. From 1500 to 1600 when Emir Fakhr-al-Dīn unified the country against the Ottoman Empire, the close relations with the Grand Duchy of Tuscany influenced Lebanese history and politics, inspiring the social reforms, art and the architecture introduced during the long reign of Fakhr-al-Dīn II.

“We’re similar, we like eating and having fun”, says Ragda Husseini, a journalist who studied in Italy “We’re disorderly and chaotic without being too arrogant. We fight an ongoing battle with a muddled bureaucratic system that we are constantly trying to dodge, and we share a great deal of our history and thousand-year culture”.

This similarity borders on brotherhood and solidarity, adds Husseini. “At difficult junctures in Lebanon’s recent history, the Italians have come to our rescue. Italy is a Western country we feel close to, unlike France that dominated us or the US, which is always ruled by its geopolitical and economic interests.

We respect Italy not out of fear, but out of consideration and kinship, because we know that an agreement or a compromise between our two countries can always be reached”.

Some of the difficult junctures have lasted a long time, such as the 15- year civil war that raged in the country from 1975 to 1990. Antonio Righetti, who has worked in the Italian Embassy since 1976, told East that during this extended tragedy Italian humanitarian aid reached all the communities across all the borders set up by the warring factions, and the Italian Embassy was the only Western embassy never to shut its doors.

“In 1982 I was 10”, says Hussein Gandour, a Palestinian member of the Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp committee in Beirut, “and those men with funny feathers on their white helmets who wandered around the alleys of the Shatila camp speaking with the commanders would cheer us up”.

Those were the Italian Marksmen, in Lebanon as part of a multinational force on a mission to ensure that PLO militants and Syrian soldiers were allowed to leave the country, according to an agreement reached with Israel, which was occupying Beirut at the time. “My father and uncle left with the Italians, and a few days later the horror struck, and what was left of my family was massacred by the Lebanese Phalangists inside the camp. When the Italians came back to protect us, we had no laughter left”, says Gandour.

During the civil war, two Italian military operations helped to strengthen the ties, and Italy played a major role in bringing about the end of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel in 2006. “At certain fundamental moments in Lebanese history, the efforts of the Italians have proven very effective”, Husseini adds, “like the two military operations they were involved in during the civil war and the role they played in securing the truce with Israel in 2006”.

The 2006 July War with Israel – 34 days that led to an estimated 2,000 civilian casualties and the destruction of the country’s infrastructure – ended with a truce and a UN resolution strongly supported by Italy. Since then Italian forces have been part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission that provides border patrols and guarantees compliance with the agreement.

“The mission”, according to UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti, “isn’t just about interposition, it also involves mediation. Thanks to the UNIFIL we’ve set up a clearinghouse that helps relieve tensions. A recent example is the handling of the tragic incident of 28 January (when a Spanish peacekeeper was killed by Israeli retaliatory fire following a Hezbollah attack). For over nine years, more than 10,000 troops from all over the world have been patrolling one of the hottest borders on the planet, entertaining relations with the political and military forces, as well as the local population.

“One of the mission’s trump cards”, Tenenti adds, “is our excellent relations with the local political and religious institutions and the population. The Italian contingent stands out for its ability to interact and our respect for culture and traditions. The close ties between our two countries also help, while the personnel of other countries have a more technical and detached approach. When Spanish General Alberto Asarta Cuevas ran the mission, area patrols had become problematic”.

Italian involvement in the UNIFIL requires an ongoing and concerted effort, as proven by the presence of over 1,000 troops and almost exclusive management of the mission. So far, the economic crisis and the changes in Italian politics have not affected the commitment that Italy took on in the summer of 2006.

The solidarity and the similarities alone can’t justify this commitment, which weighs upon Italian public monies, and the positive view the Lebanese people have of Italy. On top of which there are the extensive trade relations: from 1976 to 2008, Italy was Lebanon’s main trade partner. According to 2014 data from the Italian Foreign Trade Institute (ICE), Italy, with exports topping $1.64 billion (€1.54bn), is ranked second only to China and ahead of France, Germany and the US.

“There’s no question”, concludes Tenenti, “that the protection of Italian economic interests had its bearing on Italy’s leading role played by in the UN mission”.

The intricate web of relations between the two countries is built upon historic, political and economic concerns. All elements that seem to converge in the centre of Beirut around the ruins of the Roman baths where Made in Italy brands fill the shop windows and Italian business offices and restaurants abound. An indication of the liveliness of a bond that is as old as the Mediterranean itself.