The outcome of lebanons first parliamentary elections in nine years shored up hezbollahs position in a way that is likely to alarm the united states, israel. The trump administrations blacklisting of several lebanese individuals and companies for allegedly helping iranbacked hezbollah highlights washingtons strategy to counter a u. Beirut used to be known as the paris of the middle east, and in the welltodo christian and sunni quarters of the city, the capital of lebanon still manages to cast a spell. This essay examines two lebanese islamist parties, hezbollah and the islamic.
In 1982, midway through lebanons civil war, israel invaded lebanon with. Hezbollahs role in lebanon and beyond lebanons borders requires an indepth analysis of this kind. Blacklists lebanese companies, individuals with alleged. With its enormously unpopular involvement on the side of. But the fact is that hezbollah has never stopped growing in power, on the national stage as well as in a regional context. In the final phase of lebanons civil war, syria hezbollahs local patron is left as the dominant power broker. Hezbollah the global footprint of lebanons party of god. Lebanons politics gives hezbollah power ibrahim zabad 25 aug 2006 world politics watch exclusive amid the shattered dreams of a grand transformation, lebanon, a land fabled for its vulnerability to foreign intervention, offered an opportunity, a deliverance from the troubles that have afflicted u.
Hezbollah and the balance of power in lebanon the jerusalem. Hezbollah latest news, breaking stories and comment the. The central business districta battleground on the dividing line between christian east beirut and muslim west beirut during the lebanese civil. Hezbollah or the party of god is a powerful political and military organisation in lebanon made up mainly of shia muslims. Hezbollah, the lebanese militia and political party, is now the most powerful actor in lebanon.
It is a powerful political party in lebanon, a shia islam. Its weakening, if not demise, has been announced many times since its inception in the early 1980s. A man carries a giant flag made of flags of iran, palestine, syria and hezbollah, during a ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of the islamic revolution, in tehran on february 11, 2016. The summit also consecrated the power broker roles of iran s ally syria and prou. Now hezbollah, a powerbroker in todays lebanon, has found itself vulnerable to a broad national uprising focused on.
Jul, 2006 hezbollah s role in lebanon s government israel is holding lebanon s government responsible for hezbollah s abduction of two israeli soldiers. Jan 16, 2011 in the final phase of lebanons civil war, syria hezbollahs local patron is left as the dominant power broker. Mailing address counterpunch po box 228 petrolia, ca 95558 telephone 1707 6293683. Hezbollah intrigues all the more for the difficulty involved in studying it. Hezbollah has lately been preoccupied with defending president bashar alassads regime in syrias civil war, but its latest confrontation with israel a rocket attack on an israeli military vehicle in retaliation for an israeli strike in syria that killed some of its commanders and an iranian general is a reminder of why hezbollah was created. In such a situation, hezbollah has emerged as the dominant force as the power broker and the party that has military muscle, with a power base, gerges said. Many fear indictments could spark clashes between lebanon s sunnis and shiites or that hezbollah s nemesis israel could be pulled into a conflict, causing wider regional turmoil. After lebanon tottered close to disaster, hezbollah and its allies gained renewed political power in beirut. But the real actors in this drama are outside lebanons borders. Hezbollah latest news, breaking stories and comment.
Despite these problems, the party continued to grow in size, and in 1986 the cia considered its military strength comparable to lebanons major militias. How growing regional tensions threaten lebanons delicate. A timeline of hezbollahs rise in lebanon the new york times. Byman says hezbollah is the most powerful single political movement in.
Beirut ap the leader of lebanons hezbollah urged fellow politicians friday not to let the u. Many fear indictments could spark clashes between lebanons sunnis and shiites or that hezbollahs nemesis israel could be pulled into a conflict, causing wider regional turmoil. It emerged with financial backing from iran in the early 1980s and began a struggle to drive israeli troops from lebanon. Almost thirty years after its foundation, lebanese hezbollah remains an organization. Jan 12, 2011 but the real actors in this drama are outside lebanon s borders.
Hassan nasrallah, in a televised address to supporters, instead, called the americans the devils, adding that u. The shiite muslim movement hezbollah, together with parties and politicians aligned to it, won more than half the 128 seats in lebanon s parliament on sunday. Lebanons politics gives hezbollah power pakistan defence. Hariri is heavily supported by saudi arabia, turkey, the us and france. Hezbollah originated within the shia block of lebanese society. For a layout of the organizational structure, see robert rabil, hezbollah. Following israels war against hezbollah in the summer of 2006, the shii groupwhich combines the functions of a militia, a social service and public works provider, and a political partyis more popular than ever in the middle east while. Hezbollah was conceived by muslim clerics and funded by iran primarily to harass israel. Hostility to israel has remained the partys defining platform since may 2000, when the last. Browse the independent s complete collection of articles and commentary on hezbollah. He went on to say that in 1996 hezbollah apprehended an agent working for israel by the name of.
What the rising power of hezbollah means for the middle east. The global footprint of lebanons party of god matthew levitt on. How close are the ties between the militant group and. Hezbollah acts as a proxy for iran in the ongoing iranisrael proxy conflict. Oct 19, 2018 hezbollah toned down its antiamerican activities in the 1990s as part of an effort to placate syria, which became lebanons official powerbroker after the signing of the taif agreement that ended the lebanese civil war. How washington can counter the rise of hezbollah jonathan. Jun 09, 2014 israel s top military officer warned today that hezbollah s capabilities have grown substantially since the 2006 war, putting much of israel within the reach of the lebanese shiite militant. Following israels war against hezbollah in the summer of 2006, the shii groupa hybrid of militia, political party, and social services and public works providerremains very popular in the middle east. Hezbollah lebanon s party of god is a multifaceted organisation.
Hezbollah is a shia islamist political party and militant group based in lebanon. Iran exploited lebanons civil war, the post2003 internal. This book is essential reading for policymakers and the. Lebanon aid package to challenge hezbollah saudi gulf news. Matthew levitt s painstaking collection of a rich array of data provides uncomfortable evidence of the global footprint of lebanon s party of god. The global footprint of lebanons party of god uk ed. Lebanon elections boost hezbollahs clout the new york times. Virtually all the authors with recent books on hezbollah, spanning a decade between 1997 and 2007, endorsed the party line one way or another on mughniyeh. May 06, 2017 lebanons march 14 alliance is a coalition of politicians opposed to the syrian regime and to hezbollah march 14, 2005 was the launch date of the cedar revolution, a protest movement. Hezbollah toned down its antiamerican activities in the 1990s as part of an effort to placate syria, which became lebanons official powerbroker after the signing of the taif agreement that ended the lebanese civil war. Us renews spotlight on hezbollah powerbroker in iraq. These concepts were laid out in qassems book on hezbollah where he.
What the rising power of hezbollah means for the middle. A longawaited book, which turns the body of literature on hezbollah on its head. The summit also consecrated the powerbroker roles of irans ally syria and prou. Hezbollah economist world news, politics, economics. Journal of international security aff airs fall 2008. Lebanons power broker, the journal of international security. With its enormously unpopular involvement on the side of president. According to a united states cia world factbook estimate, shias comprise 28. The total membership of hezbollah and closely affiliated groups grew from several hundred in 1983 to 2,0003,000 in 1984 and to a few thousand in 1985, and in mid1986 the group massed 5,000 fighters for an event in the town of baalbek in. Us urges lebanon to sever hezbollah from its financial. Hezbollah has the armed strength of a mediumsized army. How growing regional tensions threaten lebanons delicate balance of power. Hezbollah has grown into a formidable political movement with a wellarmed paramilitary force known for its prowess in guerrilla warfare and generally thought to be stronger than lebanons army.
Hezbollah the flag of hezbollah, a lebanese militant group and political party. Lebanons anticorruption protests havent spared mighty. The economist offers authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them. Since 2006, hezbollah s last declared conflict with israel, the group has amassed military hardware to rival that of a formal standing army and evolved into lebanon s most important political power broker. The role of hezbollah in lebanese domestic politics. For those who view hezbollah as a destabilizing force, with links both to terrorism and.
There are a variety of spellings of hezbollah as reflected in these book titles. Sep 29, 2017 hezbollah, the lebanese militia and political party, is now the most powerful actor in lebanon. The united states, which has given lebanon s army substantial support, classifies the heavily armed hezbollah as a terrorist group and condemns its role in the syrian conflict. The group also gradually became a key power broker in lebanons political system, and has effectively gained veto power in the cabinet. Censured by britain, hezbollah is bigger than ever in beirut. In essence, this was a reformulation of the pre2005 order, which dovetails precisely with syrias objectives and interests. The militant groupcumpower broker has eclipsed lebanons other political players and consolidated its role as the. Syria was seeking closer relations with america at the time. Hezbollah, stronger than the lebanese army, has the power to drag the country into war. The partys fighting strength has grown substantially since the 2006 lebanon war. In other words, hariris money and connections would be allowed to play around, but lebanons security and foreign policy would be in hezbollahs and its patrons hands.
Hezbollah lebanons party of god is a multifaceted organisation. Most policymakers in the united states and israel have it wrong. The global footprint of lebanons party of god is the first thorough examination of hezbollahs covert activities beyond lebanons borders, including its financial and logistical support networks and its criminal and terrorist operations worldwide. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including recently declassified government documents, court records, and personal interviews with intelligence officials. Since 2006, hezbollahs last declared conflict with israel, the group has amassed military hardware to rival that of a formal standing army and evolved into lebanons most important political power broker. Us not honest broker in lebanons gas dispute hosted. Hezbollahlebanons party of godis a multifaceted organization. Hezbollah emerged during lebanons fifteenyear civil war, which broke out in 1975 when longsimmering discontent over the large, armed palestinian presence in the country reached a boiling point.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Us renews spotlight on hezbollah powerbroker in iraq meo. Us not honest broker in lebanons gas dispute february 16, 2018 gmt hezbollah leader sheik hassan nasrallah speaks on a screen via a video link during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the death of hezbollah leaders in the southern suburbs of beirut, lebanon, friday, feb. Feb 16, 2018 beirut ap the leader of lebanons hezbollah urged fellow politicians friday not to let the u. The global footprint of lebanon s party of god is the first thorough examination of hezbollah s covert activities beyond lebanon s borders, including its financial and logistical support networks and its criminal and terrorist operations worldwide. Hezbollahs paramilitary wing is the jihad council, and its political wing is the loyalty to the resistance bloc party in the lebanese parliament. Following israel s war against hezbollah in the summer of 2006, the shii groupwhich combines the functions of a militia, a social service and public works provider, and a political partyis more popular than ever in the middle east while.
Nov 19, 2019 the history of hezbollah and of sunni terrorist groups demonstrate vividly why lebanons overall stability is in our interest. Billingslea met with lebanons president michel aoun, prime minister saad alhariri and top banking and political figures, according to reuters, reportedly assuring the officials that washington. Blanfords style makes his subject matter more accessible than some earlier books on hezbollah. Hezbollah isnt a simple terrorist organizationnor is it likely to disappear soon. A hybrid force, the group maintains robust conventional and unconventional military capabilities. Israels top military officer warned today that hezbollahs capabilities have grown substantially since the 2006 war, putting much of israel within the reach of the lebanese shiite militant.