The headlines they quoted show foolish ignorance. The Bible never says Israel wiped out the Canaanites outside of the borders of Israel, and makes reference to Lebanon, Tyre and Sidon still existing. And of course, it is clear that the Canaanites were not wiped out in Israel. Carthage was also founded by Canaanites/Phoenecians. Hannibal was said to have made an oath to Baal before leading his attack on the Roman Empire from the north. So Jews and Romans had had a historic common enemy.In centuries past, many Lebanese converted to Christianity. Some theological questions:Should Messianic Jews marry Christian Lebanese?Can the Canaanite now enter the assembly of the LORD? Is that the same thing as the Christian church? Btw, some of the Lebanese are very good-looking. If the surrounding Canaanites, I can see why Israelites men were tempted to intermarry or to go to Baal worship ceremonies for free barbecue and free sex. Those idolatrous fertility rituals must have made frat parties seem like a meeting of the chess club. Baalam relied on these temptations to entice Israel with parties that involved eating barbecue sex with Midianite and Moabite women, when he couldn't get God to curse Israel before doing so