For several days, Israeli bombs have hit Lebanon hard. Israel’s aim is to weaken Hezbollah, which in the wake of the war in the Gaza Strip is attacking the neighboring country, but: – It is not in Hezbollah’s DNA to be deterred. So says Dag Henrik Tuastad, senior lecturer in Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oslo. – A movement Hezbollah probably has around forty or fifty thousand fighters. They will be equipped with around 150,000 rockets, missiles and drones. The weapons are hidden in tunnels under the ground in various places in Lebanon. The terrain in the country is so rugged that it is far more demanding to destroy these than in the Gaza Strip. The group’s greatest strength, however, lies in the fact that it is far more than a military force. Tuastad calls Hezbollah a movement. Members of Hezbollah’s al Mahdi scouts mourn at the coffins of the two children Amira and Hassan Fadlallah on July 31, 2024. The two were killed in an Israeli airstrike the day before. Photo: Hussein Malla / AP A state within a state – Perhaps the most important thing is the sense of community you have, explains Tuastad. Hezbollah is described as a state within the state of Lebanon. They have their own schools, their own health institutions, their own banking system, and their own petrol stations. Dag Henrik Tuastad is Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oslo. Photo: Ellen Evju Jahr – The Shiites see Hezbollah as a kind of homeland. They have almost more trust in Hezbollah as a service provider than they have in the Lebanese state. Hezbollah has its own scouts and its own football team. – The only thing they haven’t managed is to win the Miss Lebanon title. That’s how massive it is, says Tuastad. Four out of ten Lebanese are Shia Muslims, and they make up the country’s largest population group. Seven out of ten of these support Hezbollah. Fusion Tuastad explains that Hezbollah is composed of three parts: The military, the political, and the socio-cultural. These three parts are inseparable from each other. – It is the totality here that means that you cannot really take out a piece. You cannot eliminate the military part and then think that there is nothing left, says Tuastad. During a stay in Beirut in 2019, he experienced what it looks like in practice. Al-Ahed is known as Hezbollah’s own football team. The suits are in Hezbollah’s colours. The team is also sponsored by Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV station. Photo: MOHD RASFAN / AFP When Hezbollah’s own football team al Ahed won the Asia Cup in 2019, the players came home to cheers from tens of thousands of fans. One of the images the fans held dear was of one of the players who had enlisted to fight for Hezbollah in Syria, and died. 19-year-old Qassem Shamkha was a footballer, and now a martyr. – Then you see very clearly the connection between the military and the cultural, says Tuastad. The football team wears uniforms in Hezbollah’s colors, and the main sponsor is Hezbollah’s TV station, al Manar. In 2018, Israel’s prime minister claimed that the Al-Ahed football stadium was among the areas Hezbollah used for rocket sites. Lebanon’s foreign minister responded by inviting ambassadors from over 70 countries on a tour of Beirut to refute the claims. Photo: ANWAR AMRO / AFP Got money from Hezbollah Loyalty to Hezbollah runs deep. Tuastad explains that Hezbollah’s position is somewhat similar to that of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is a grassroots movement that is rooted in large sections of the population. For example, many had their houses destroyed in the war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006, and many had fled. These families received financial support from Hezbollah, and felt cared for. And during the corona pandemic, it was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah who told people how to protect themselves. – So you have this moral-cultural thing with religious leaders who give advice to the population. These different ideas form a whole, says Tuastad. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been a charismatic father figure to far more than Lebanon’s Shia Muslim population. The supporters are mourning the fact that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike, but there are also a number of Lebanese who are celebrating. Photo: JOSEPH EID / AFP A turning point The historical background also strengthens Shia Muslims’ support for Hezbollah. – The movement arose as a result of the Israeli invasion in 1982, explains Tuastad. Many of the Shia Muslims in southern Lebanon fled north, to the slums around Beirut. This is where Hezbollah emerged. Iran gave support to military build-up, but also to schools, healthcare and sports activities. – For the Shias, who were essentially displaced, and who had been the lower class throughout the region’s history, this was a turning point. It had already begun with the revolution in Iran in 1979, and now the Lebanese Shiites found community in the various Hezbollah institutions. – They got a sense of belonging, explains Tuastad. A member of Hezbollah’s al-Madhi Scouts holds up a placard during a rally in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Lebanon on October 27, 2023. Photo: Bilal Hussein / AP – Huge confidence Hezbollah takes credit for Israel’s eventual withdrawal from the South -Lebanon in the year 2000. They had carried out a number of actions, including suicide actions against the Israelis, which became very costly for Israel. – Then Hezbollah gained enormous self-confidence, explains Tuastad. The movement’s status was strengthened, not only among Shia Muslims, but also among Sunni Muslims. The United States has labeled Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and Israel sees the military wing as an existential threat. At the same time, Hezbollah has gained an ideological position throughout the Middle East. Members of Hezbollah’s al Mahdi scouts at a mourning for the two children killed in an Israeli attack in July. Photo: Hussein Malla / AP Leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in a targeted Israeli attack earlier this week, has been a guiding star for far more than the Lebanese. – What happens if Israel succeeds in weakening Hezbollah? – You rarely think about what will happen next, but Hezbollah arose after Israel invaded and drove the PLO out of Lebanon. And in Iraq they succeeded in getting rid of Saddam Hussein, but got IS, says Tuastad. Hear also: Published 29/09/2024, at 21.49 Updated 29.09.2024, at 22.06
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Hezbollah’s strength is more than military force – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
