Abstract
The research sheds light on the most important and prominent Arab unity projects in the Arab world during the 1940s, represented by the Fertile Crescent Project proposed by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Said under the name of Al- Kitab Al-Azraq. The project focused on the establishment of unity between Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and eastern Jordan, including the restoration of Hashemite influence in the Arab Mashriq region. The project embodied al-Said's desire to expand his areas of influence and gain more political and military power available through the union of the Arab countries mentioned in the project. The research also aims to understand its political effects on those countries in general and Lebanon in particular, due to Lebanon's geographic and political proximity to the project. This resulted in varied official and partisan Lebanese positions towards dealing with the idea of establishing the project and its objectives, ranging from accepting the idea of unity to outright rejection due to its impact on Lebanon's sectarian political system and the 1943 National Pact. Lebanon aimed to maintain its independence away from all unity projects, regardless of their merits and objectives, as it had invested greatly in achieving this independence. Lebanon also viewed the Arab unity projects as suspicious endeavors seeking Lebanon's inclusion to serve their own interests.
