Phalangist

Phalangist is a term most commonly used to refer to a member or supporter of the Kataeb Party, also known as the Phalange, a Lebanese political party founded in 1936 by Pierre Gemayel. The name derives from phalanx, the ancient Greek military formation, signaling an emphasis on organization and discipline. The party has identified as Lebanese nationalist with a Christian (primarily Maronite) orientation and has historically advocated for Lebanese sovereignty and a strong central state, operating as a center-right to right-wing force within Lebanese politics.

During the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), the Kataeb Party maintained a militia whose members were known as Phalangists. The faction fought against Palestinian and various Muslim factions and allied groups at different times, including alignment with Israel in the early 1980s. The war period included the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, in which Phalangist units were implicated in violence in Beirut under Israeli deployment, an episode that remains controversial and widely condemned.

In the postwar era, the Kataeb Party continued to participate in Lebanese politics and was part of broader Christian political alignments during the years that followed the Taif Agreement. The party’s influence has fluctuated, and it remains an active political actor in Lebanon, with leadership traditionally held by members of the Gemayel family. The term Phalangist thus primarily denotes a member of this party, though it has occasionally been used in reference to adherents of Falange-inspired movements elsewhere.