June 3, 2025 | Haaretz
To Save Itself, Hezbollah May Seek Further Integration into the Lebanese State
Lebanon's leaders seem sincere about taking away the Shi'ite group's weapons. But Hezbollah has avoided giving up its arsenal many times before using this tried-and-true approach
June 3, 2025 | Haaretz
To Save Itself, Hezbollah May Seek Further Integration into the Lebanese State
Lebanon's leaders seem sincere about taking away the Shi'ite group's weapons. But Hezbollah has avoided giving up its arsenal many times before using this tried-and-true approach
Excerpt
Hezbollah’s identity, and indeed its very survival, is inseparably intertwined with its weapons. The group draws its durability and legitimacy from overwhelming Lebanese Shi’ite support, who are largely disinterested in the organization’s theocratic aspirations. Still, they believe that “the resistance” protects their lives from foreign threats like Israel and ensures their domestic dignity.
David Daoud is a senior fellow at FDD focused on Lebanon and Hezbollah.