Naim Qassem encourages voting in upcoming Lebanese municipal elections

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem gave a speech on Wednesday, April 28, addressing Lebanon’s upcoming municipal elections. The fate of Hezbollah’s arms is now the top question occupying the Lebanese political conversation. To fend off potential forcible disarmament efforts by the government, the group has sought to demonstrate its retention of the overwhelming support of the country’s Shiite community.

Hezbollah has already passed several public milestones where its followers turned out in force: the entry of the November 27, 2024, ceasefire into effect, the February 18 deadline for Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon, and the February 23 funeral of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. The municipal elections in the Beqaa and Baalbek-Hermel, scheduled for May 18, and South Lebanon and Nabatieh, planned for May 25, will be the latest points where Hezbollah must demonstrate that it remains unchallenged in the Shiite community if it wishes to survive.

Beyond speaking about the municipal elections, Qassem called on the Lebanese government to prioritize two issues that would greatly benefit Hezbollah: ending Israel’s attacks and the presence of its ground forces in Lebanon, and pursuing post-war reconstruction, which will impact predominantly Shiite areas of the country.

Qassem divided his speech into two main themes. The first was “Lebanon’s renaissance,” and the second was focused on the municipal elections. His full speech is summarized below:

Qassem: Lebanon must prioritize ending Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah

Qassem began his speech by listing preconditions to a Lebanese renaissance. First and foremost among them were “ending the Israeli aggression, [Israel’s] withdrawal from south Lebanon, and the release of [Lebanese] detainees [held by Israel],” all factors that directly affect the group. “No other priorities can precede this,” Qassem stressed, without which he said it was impossible “to build a country amidst constant pressure.” Stopping Israeli offensives must constantly be at the top of the government’s daily agenda, he said.

Qassem once again claimed Hezbollah had adhered entirely to the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon ceasefire “in all its terms,” including facilitating the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to the country’s south. In contrast, he stressed that Israel had violated the deal “an unbearable three thousand-plus times,” acknowledging France’s criticism of these Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, he said that the United States was using these Israeli operations to achieve its own goals, and was, therefore, “entirely complicit, covering, and excusing Israel’s continued acts of aggression.”

Now, Qassem said, Lebanon was responsible for pressuring Paris, Washington, the United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to halt these Israeli attacks. “The [Lebanese] State has unacceptably only applied minimal and slight pressure so far,” he said. Qassem demanded Beirut “act more, daily, actively” through diplomatic means, including by lodging complaints with the UN Security Council or “constantly” summoning the US ambassador to Lebanon, “who acts improperly, is biased towards Israel, while the United States fails in its oversight” of the ceasefire deal “and is a partner with the Israeli entity.” Here, Qassem was likely implicitly criticizing Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji for summoning the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon Motjaba Amani over comments opposing Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Referencing the prior day’s Israeli airstrike on a Hezbollah missile storage facility in south Beirut, Qassem denied that Israel “had any justification, even an imaginary one,” to launch the attack, except for seeking to unilaterally set new rules of engagement. “This is a very dangerous and great matter,” he said, falsely claiming that most of the casualties from Israel’s strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire have been civilians. He praised President Joseph Aoun’s and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s condemnations of Israeli actions, including the April 27 airstrike in south Beirut, but again stressed that more was needed from Beirut to ensure the full, bilateral implementation of the ceasefire deal.

Qassem continued arguing that the relationship between the Lebanese state and “the resistance” must be a mutual give-and-take, rather than one where Hezbollah merely adheres to Beirut’s orders. “The resistance has adhered 100%,” he said, questioning “what more does the state need” before it acts. “Nothing,” Qassem stressed, “should be considered before Israel implements all its obligations, withdraws, ends its aggression, [and] releases the detainees,” implicitly rebuffing Lebanese officials seeking to discuss the fate of the group’s arms. Conceding it was the Lebanese State’s right to “spread its sovereignty” over south Lebanon, Qassem nevertheless insisted, “You can’t take everything while doing nothing.” 

Qassem also called out Lebanon’s political factions for their silence, saying some were even “acting against us, against the resistance, against Lebanon’s future,” without criticizing Israel’s actions.

Qassem: Israel seeks to occupy Lebanon               

Qassem once again stressed that Israel needed no excuses to attack Lebanon and would do so “even if Lebanese chicken crossed near the border.” This situation, he argued, is because Israel has far-reaching ambitions in Lebanon, including controlling the country and weakening it to the point where Israel can freely build settlements and naturalize displaced Palestinians within it.

“America also wants this,” Qassem stressed, again linking Israel and the US in alleged crimes, a typical tactic of Hezbollah’s propaganda. He then adduced the group’s typical proofs of Israel’s intentions, which he has repeated in almost every speech since Hassan Nasrallah’s September 27, 2024, assassination. “It’s sufficient [for Israel] to say there’s a Hezbollah storage facility or installation,” he said. “What kind of excuses are these? There’s a deal that must be implemented.” Here, Qassem suggested that the ceasefire deal should have granted the group immunity from continued Israeli military actions.

Qassem: Hezbollah will not disarm

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qassem claimed, is currently domestically weak and beset by political crises. Therefore, now was not the time for continued Lebanese concessions, he argued, especially at Hezbollah’s expense, which, in turn, only weakens Lebanon by “abandoning its strength.” Qassem stressed that Hezbollah “will not give up its strength, Lebanon’s strength, the Lebanese Army’s or the state’s strength,” questioning why Lebanon was capitulating “even though we have young men, women, and many capabilities.” To the contrary, he said, “Lebanon must remain strong and will remain strong through its resistance, army, and people,” referencing Hezbollah’s so-called “golden tripartite equation” through which it justifies retaining its private arsenal and militia. Qassem stressed that “there was no going back to the situation that existed over 40 years ago” (prior to Hezbollah’s rise), when “Israel and America were in control.”

Qassem admitted Hezbollah was now going through “a phase of patience, of suffering,” but expressed his confidence that ultimately, “We will come out on top, God willing.”

Qassem: Lebanon must also prioritize reconstruction

Lebanon’s second priority, Qassem said, must be post-war reconstruction—another Hezbollah interest. The group wants to prevent the damage it had invited upon Lebanon, particularly upon its Lebanese Shiite base, amidst which its military assets are entrenched, from sparking a wholesale rebellion by its supporters. Qassem beratingly questioned the government’s delay in beginning reconstruction efforts, saying that even if the needed funds had to come from abroad, Beirut could still proceed with preliminary steps, like laying out a reconstruction plan. He even hinged the ceasefire deal on reconstruction, saying “no deal exists without reconstruction.”

Qassem accused the government of “impoverishing the people, creating discriminatory [classes] of citizenship, and targeting a critical component of the country [the Shiites],” by delaying reconstruction. Here, the Hezbollah secretary-general was predictably seeking to shift responsibility—and anger—for continued Shiite suffering from the group to the Lebanese state.

Hezbollah, Qassem claimed, had already done its part on reconstruction and moved 350,000 people back to their homes, an effort he said was globally unique for a resistance movement. He thanked Iran for its support, saying the Lebanese should question what others have done for their country. Qassem also said that if some individuals were intending to pressure Hezbollah by denying its base reconstruction aid, then “the country will not be stable or rise again.

Qassem: Building the Lebanese state must be the country’s third priority

Qassem claimed that Hezbollah supports building a strong Lebanese state, had already contributed much to this effort, and was ready to support further laws and reforms toward that goal. However, he said it must be done along certain “principles” that sideline “those trying to create problems between the resistance and the army”—hinting at Lebanese figures and political factions calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament. Lebanon, he said, must withhold discussing full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 until after Israel abides by the ceasefire agreement.

Hezbollah and municipal elections

Qassem said Hezbollah is competing in the upcoming municipal elections to serve their people. The group, he said, sought to accomplish certain objectives through these elections, including “raising up our downtrodden people, watching out for their interests, developing their areas, ending poverty among them, and seeking their advancement by all means available.”

Hezbollah’s second goal, he said, was to pursue municipal reforms, and, finally, to present “an excellent model of good governance.” The group, he said, would pursue a policy of unity and cooperation between and within rural and urban areas, rather than encourage competition. To that end, Hezbollah was running joint municipal lists with the Amal Party and is also ready to cooperate with figures outside of the two major Shiite parties, “because they, too, are from our environment.”

Hezbollah, he said, has no objection to any figure or party running in the elections so long as they have public legitimacy, approach their work with clean hands, prioritize the needs of the people, and seek to act in the spirit of cooperation that the group aims to promote.

Qassem called for “heavy participation” in the upcoming municipal elections, saying this was necessary to rebuild the country but likely hoping to encourage a strong showing for Hezbollah.

Quick concluding points

Qassem concluded his speech by addressing four points. First, he extended his condolences “to the Christian world” over the passing of “his holiness Pope Francis,” hoping “his ideas stemming from the Gospels and Christ, peace be upon him,” would positively impact all of humanity.

Qassem then also extended condolences to Iran over the Bandar Abbas Port explosion, hoping “this crisis will pass without impacting” Tehran. He then turned to address the people of Gaza, expressing his sorrow that “this world is tyrannical, criminal— the Western world, the American world, the Israeli world.” Qassem encouraged Gazans to remain steadfast, saying, “This endurance will preface certain victory.”

Qassem ended by once again saluting the Houthis for “confronting the American-Israeli-British enemy” on behalf of Palestine. This fight, he said, was a globally distinguishing honor, and he called on God to “grant victory and success, and extract us from these crises.”

David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.