Lebanon
What is the "Hezbollah Alternative" in Lebanon?
The website "arabnews" published a new report in which it said that the Israeli withdrawal from the south...Lebanon , will be in the interest of all parties concerned.
The report, translated by Lebanon 24, says, “Following the ceasefire agreement reached on November 27 of last year, it was supposed that…Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory by January 26. Last month, the deadline was extended to February 18. But as we approach that date, it is not clear nor any indication that Israel will withdraw on schedule. In fact, the withdrawal of Israel is necessary For Lebanon So that the country can achieve any kind of stability or state building.
The report continued: "Israel succeeded in beheading leaders of Hezbollah, and used advanced technology to assassinate the latter's field commanders. Later, it carried out an attack on the communications equipment of Hezbollah whereby thousands of its elements were targeted, and this was followed by an Israeli attack that was accompanied by an intensive bombing campaign, in which all the party’s leaders were killed, starting with Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.”
It added: “Under the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah Withdrawal North of the Litani River The agreement also includes the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, which orders all Lebanese militias to disarm. At the same time, the Israelis were supposed to withdraw By the end of an initial 60-day period, they have not, and the argument they made was that Israel needs to cleanse the south of the country of all weapons depots and pockets of resistance, and for this reason it continues to bomb parts of the south and the Bekaa from time to time.”
"It is clear that," the report said, that Israel and the new American administration do not believe in soft power or in narrative ideas and precise details, but only in hard power, and they believe that the only way to get rid of Hezbollah is to kill all its members and dry up all its sources of funding. But what they do not realize is that by adopting this method, they are working to undermine the Lebanese state.
The report stated that "the military force of Hezbollah can be weakened, but the idea of Hezbollah cannot be eliminated as long as there is any form of Israeli occupation or violation of Lebanese sovereignty,” it added. “The argument that Hezbollah, on which the legitimacy of its existence is based, is that the Lebanese army cannot protect Lebanon From the Israeli aggression. Hence, there will be an urgent need for a guerrilla force.”
It added: "Israel, If it wants to play smart, it should withdraw before the next deadline and allow the Lebanese state to take credit. In this way, Beirut can prove to the Lebanese people, including Hezbollah, That the Lebanese state is capable of repelling the Israelis and protecting the country from their aggression using diplomacy, but the arrogance of Israeli leaders, coupled with American leniency, is undermining the Lebanese state.”
It added: "Despite the weakening of Hezbollah Militarily, its narrative is strengthened at the expense of the Lebanese state. When the sixty-day period ended, the people of the south rushed to return to their homes, Israel and "The shooting of 22 people was a blow to the Lebanese state. What happened showed that the state is unable to protect its people."
The report continued: "It will not weaken Hezbollah as long as its audience feels they need protection. Maybe Israel can kill The leader and chain of command are disrupted, however, it will only be a matter of time before the group restores its chain of command and prepares new leaders.”
The report believed that “the United States, which mediated the ceasefire, must show respect for the Lebanese state and enhance its position so that the Lebanese people will trust it,” It continued: “If ordinary Lebanese citizens, especially in the south, do not feel that the state is able to protect them from Israeli aggression, they will resort to Hezbollah Seeking protection, they will send their children to join the party, and will contribute their hard-earned money to finance it.”
"In fact, the report continued; "The United States does not act as we say," During her visit to Lebanon Last week, the deputy of Special Envoy For the Middle East "Morgan Ortagus thanked Israel for her defeat of Hezbollah, Note that Tel Aviv has just destroyed half of Lebanon Ortagus’s words from the Baabda presidential Palace have undermined the Lebanese state, exacerbated internal divisions in the country, and reinforced the perception among Lebanese Shiites that the state cannot protect them. In the context, Shiites feel isolated and harmed, and Hezbollah is exploiting That."
It continued: "What is happening in Lebanon is a watershed moment for the citizens, a moment when the people should rally around the state and focus on building institutions and making reforms. But the Israeli presence creates a point of contention among the Lebanese who are happy to see the defeat of Hezbollah. The latter’s supporters feel isolated from the rest of Lebanese society. The Israeli presence is also a distraction from state building and a gift to corrupt politicians to obstruct progress towards reforms.”
It continued: “The United States, which has the upper hand, must adopt a strategic vision, and it must pressure Israel To force it to withdraw, while obtaining sufficient guarantees from the Lebanese state that it will pressure Hezbollah to get it to disarm and become a political party on an equal footing with other parties in the country. But the United States seems to prefer a hard power and a frank approach, and this approach carries the risk of internal unrest.”
It concluded: "The United States must realize that the only viable alternative For Hezbollah is a strong Lebanese state, capable of providing security and services to its citizens, and this cannot happen as long as Israel Occupies parts of Lebanon and violates its security. Also, the United States must put pressure on Israel To force it to withdraw by the deadline set for February 18th.
One day before the dead-line of the application of the ceasefire, a good look and analysis by the Arabnews site, sent to me through Lebanon 24, my translation from Arabic and copied on our blog for the sake of better understanding of the current situation between Israel and Lebanon.
As always , all my thanks to all.
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