It is evident that there is a shift in Shia public opinion regarding all contentious issues in the country, particularly controversial topics. Contrary to the polls conducted by companies affiliated with Hezbollah and operating within its media system, which indicate a 90% rejection of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel across most sects, neutral polling firms reveal the exact opposite.

This is especially true when respondents know they will not be pursued or pressured by the party, as their identities remain unknown to its security apparatus. It has become clear that what is said in private circles, away from the media spotlight, reflects the bitter reality: citizens, particularly within the Shia community, hold the party responsible for the war and the tragedies of displacement.

Following the uproar sparked by the poll studies conducted by the "International Information Company," which is by no means adversarial to the Shia duo and which showed growing acceptance of negotiation and peace, Hezbollah's "electronic army" moved to question the company's credibility.

A public opinion poll conducted by "Statistics Lebanon" in April of this year, based on a sample of 1,200 citizens from various Lebanese regions using probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) sampling and telephone interviews, revealed that 38% of Shia respondents support a political settlement.

The poll, which covered all of Lebanon, showed that only 28% of respondents strongly oppose a political settlement. It also found that 34% of Shia and 67% of Sunni respondents support a Lebanese-Israeli agreement, while 83% of Christians consider such an agreement important.

The first direct negotiation session held in Washington earlier this month.

The poll also showed that, even in times of war, the economy remains the primary concern for Lebanese citizens, with 72% of respondents identifying it as the most important issue when asked to select two key concerns. Security ranked second, cited by 58% of respondents.

The "International Information" study: what conclusions?

As a reminder, the study conducted by the "International Information Company" and widely published by Annahar reported that the proportion of Lebanese supporting a peace agreement with Israel had risen from 25% to approximately 49%.

The head of the company, Jawad Adra, highlighted a significant indicator that illustrates the substantial difference between the results of the current poll and those of a previous survey conducted in August 2025. In less than a year, the following increases were recorded:

• Support for a peace agreement with Israel increased from 25% to approximately 49%.

• Support for full normalization rose from 13.2% to more than 30%.

Based on these significant shifts, Adra raises a fundamental question about the nature of societies: Do political convictions truly change through greater awareness and evolving perspectives, or do exhausted and strained societies become instinctively more willing to embrace difficult options that they would have categorically rejected in the past?

The poll revealed a sharp division in responses to the question: “What is your position on direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel?” While 21.9% of respondents expressed strong support and 27.1% expressed partial support, the findings indicate that nearly 49% of public opinion leans toward supporting the principle of direct negotiations to varying degrees.

On a sectarian basis, this option received its highest levels of support among the following groups:

• Maronites: Total support reached 78%, with 36.2% expressing strong support and 41.8% expressing moderate support.

• Druze: Support reached 72%, including 50.9% who strongly supported the option and 21.1% who somewhat supported it.

• Greek Orthodox: Support reached 73.6%, with 37.5% expressing strong support and 36.1% expressing moderate support.

Political observers have noted the significant and sweeping transformation within the Orthodox sect, historically and intellectually known for its strong support of the Palestinian cause and Arab nationalist issues, reflecting the depth of shock and exhaustion that has affected all Lebanese contexts without exception.