Pundits have long debated France’s Arab policy, which was launched by Charles de Gaulle and was seen as France’s “third way” between the two main powers of the Cold War era. is foreign policy explained France’s unique approach to the Palestinian ques- tion – which was, for decades, the only controversial issue in the Middle East – and then to the con ict in Lebanon, especially dur- ing the Civil War from 1975 to 1990.