Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Hezbollah in All Its Forms is an Existential Threat to Lebanon and the Lebanese People

Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Hezbollah in All Its Forms is an Existential Threat to Lebanon and the Lebanese People
Elias Bejjani/November 17/2024

Click Here to read & watch the the Arabic Video version of this piece
اضغط هنا لقراء ومشاهدة فيديو المقالة بالعربية

Hezbollah’s Threat to Lebanon Is Beyond Armed Resistance
Hezbollah, the armed Iranian jihadist terrorist proxy, represents a multifaceted and existential threat that transcends its military capabilities. It poses a grave danger to Lebanon, the Arab world, Israel, and the international peace as a whole—whether it exists as an armed militia or a so-called political entity. Dismantling Hezbollah, disarming it, and prosecuting its leadership as enablers of the Shiite political Islamist ideology are crucial steps to preserving Lebanese, regional, and global stability..

 Hezbollah’s ideology is rooted in political Islam, mirroring Sunni extremist movements such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Muslim Brotherhood. These groups, while differing in sectarian affiliation, share a common goal: to impose a totalitarian religious-political agenda that undermines nation-states, disrupts societal harmony, and fosters global instability. Hezbollah’s Shiite-oriented approach does not make it any less dangerous or radical than its Sunni counterparts.

Hezbollah Does Not Represent Lebanon’s Shiites
Contrary to the propaganda spread by Hezbollah and its supporters, the group does not represent Lebanon’s Shiite community. Instead, it is the Shiites’ greatest enemy. During the 1980s, under Syria’s Stalinist occupation of Lebanon and in conspiracy with the Iranian Mullahs, Hezbollah was created and allowed to hijack the Shiite community, effectively taking them hostage. This reality persists to this day.

Hezbollah’s declared wars on Israel and its other reckless actions are carried out without regard for the catastrophic consequences they inflict on Lebanon’s Shiites. Despite the devastation and suffering its policies cause in their strongholds, Hezbollah continues its absurd and futile war solely to serve Iran’s regional agenda. The group exploits and sacrifices the Shiites as pawns in Tehran’s hegemonic ambitions, proving that it prioritizes its loyalty to Iran over the well-being of the very community it claims to defend.

Hezbollah’s Role in Undermining Lebanon’s Sovereignty
In Lebanon, Hezbollah has entrenched itself as a parallel state, wielding weapons, controlling territory, and monopolizing decisions of war and peace. Some Lebanese politicians, either out of ignorance, opportunism, or treachery, suggest allowing Hezbollah to continue as a political party post-military defeat. This stance is not only shortsighted but also a betrayal of Lebanon’s national interest. It perpetuates Hezbollah’s influence and grants it a veneer of legitimacy, enabling it to remain a tool of Iranian expansionism.

These politicians, along with complicit clergy, owe their survival and power to Lebanon’s successive occupations—Palestinian, Syrian, and now Iranian. They are products of an environment where sovereignty was compromised, and state institutions were weakened. Their defense of Hezbollah is a continuation of their dependency on foreign hegemony.

The Fallacy of a “Defense Strategy” with Hezbollah
Proposals to integrate Hezbollah’s weapons into a national “defense strategy” are a dangerous deception. Such plans would institutionalize Hezbollah as an armed entity parallel to the Lebanese Army, creating a state-within-a-state. This model mirrors other Iranian-backed militias like Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and various proxies in Syria. These groups operate outside national frameworks, undermining state authority and creating chronic instability.

No independent nation can tolerate multiple armies or competing centers of power. Lebanon must reject this Iranian model, which exploits the notion of “resistance” to justify perpetual militia control. True sovereignty requires a single national army under legitimate civilian authority, with no exceptions.

Iran’s Role in Exporting Destabilization
Iran’s strategy is clear: weaken national institutions, empower militias loyal to its agenda, and entrench its influence across the Middle East. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is not just an armed group; it is Iran’s primary tool for maintaining its grip on the country. This strategy is replicated in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, where Iranian proxies erode state sovereignty and replace legitimate governance with chaos.

The Path Forward for Lebanon and the Region
Hezbollah’s disarmament and prohibition from political participation are essential for Lebanon’s liberation from Iranian occupation. The Lebanese people must recognize that Hezbollah, in any form, is incompatible with sovereignty, democracy, and national unity. Regional and international actors must support Lebanon’s quest for independence by exerting maximum pressure on Hezbollah and its backers.

Lebanon’s future depends on breaking free from the cycle of occupation and dependency. To achieve this, Hezbollah must be eradicated as a military force, dismantled as a political entity, and held accountable as a promoter of terrorism and extremism. Only then can Lebanon reclaim its sovereignty and pave the way for a stable and prosperous future.

*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com & media.lccc@gmail.com
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