During the first stages of the war, Israel allied with major Christian Lebanese militias which led the Lebanese government during the early 1980s. The countries effectively reached normalization of relations with US-brokered May 17 Agreement in 1983, but it had been annulled by Lebanon after power takeover by Druze and Shiite militias in early 1984. Israel also supported the secessionist Free Lebanon State during 1979-1984 and its successor South Lebanon Army.