The Syrian occupation of Lebanon.

Abu Arz was the first to warn of the danger of the Syrian initiative in Lebanon, and the first to oppose the entrance of the Syrian troops to any part of Lebanon, in particular the Eastern zone.

Furthermore, just before the entrance of the Syrian army in July 1976, he called for a broad meeting of the pillars of the Lebanese Front, including the Presidents Camille Chamoun and Sleiman Frangié, as well as Cheikh Pierre Gemayel, Mr. Edward Honein, the leaders of the Lebanese Forces, Cheikh Bachir Gemayel, Danny Chamoun, himself and others. This meeting was held in the Headquarters of the Guardians of the Cedars in Achrafieh. Abu Arz tried to convince his allies to refuse a coverage for the Syrian troops, or to agree to their entry into the Eastern zone which had just been liberated from Palestinian occupation.

But they all insisted on accepting the Syrian initiative. Thereupon, Abu Arz called for a press conference in the Party's premises in Sabtiyeh in which he announced his retreat, with some of his supporters, to the mountain peaks of Aqoura to mark his rejection of the Syrian initiative.
Thereafter, the veracity of Abu Arz's position and his far-sightedness became apparent to everyone. It became clear to them that the Syrians entered to remain in accordance with their political covetousness to swallow Lebanon and turn it into a Syrian province.

Abu Arz called for opposition to the Syrians in 1978 and sought to oust them from the Eastern zones by military force. This was realized when the Lebanese Resistance parties: Kataeb, Liberals, Guardians of the Cedars and others, besieged the Syrian positions during several weeks and forced them to withdraw after bitter battles that cost us many martyrs, and much destruction to property.

However, the Syrians returned to these positions after the serious division that confronted the Lebanese Army under General Michel Aoun's command and the Lebanese Forces commanded by Samir Geagea in the terrible war of early 1990. The Syrian army invaded the districts of Metn and Baabda, and deposed General Michel Aoun extending its occupation to include all the Eastern zones, while consolidating its hold on the Constitutional institutions: the Presidency of the Republic, Parliament, the Ministries and down to all the official departments and offices. This resulted in subjugating Lebanon to Syria, completely wiping out the Lebanese characteristics of government and creating acute financial, economic, social and demographic crises that brought about the collapse and the breakdown of the country.