Many people spoke French back then, Arabic was ofcourse the official standard spoken langauge and the everyday use lanauge but French was always thrown in too often in regular "small talks" just as how English is nowadays thrown into the small talk.

From experience, most Lebanese i spoke too despised being called Arab due to being associated with Saudi(keep in mind most are Lebanese diaspora). The whole Arab idenity is ofcourse more complex thus thats why i said some Lebanese.

The other part was more a humoristic take on history rather an acutal historic lesson the I believe part and the way its said should idicate the humor or not..

Lebanon is maybe less than 100 years old but this idenity crisis is not something new.

Last part is interesting, got any more read on that? I've read before, that the initial Arab tribes that setteled in the Levant weren't as many as people make it to be. Which sort makes sense as they did not totally replace the current inhabitants but lived alongside them.