How Hezbollah Shuts Down Debate In Lebanon

-Analysis-

BEIRUT — As Israel continues its massacre in southern Lebanon and parts of the capital, Lebanese media outlets and social media users have been consumed by a parallel discussion that reflects the nation’s longstanding divisions and civil strife.

The topic is centered around a single word: “politics.” The argument goes that now is not a time to talk about politics and those involved, including activists, writers and journalists, must spend all their time and energy to help the displaced people and condemn the Israeli aggression.

Such condemnations should not be expressed in political terms, but remain limited to its moral dimension. Of course, adding any political points to the conversation means addressing Hezbollah’s role in our current distress and failures. So, it is said, we must “postpone” all such discussion until after the war.

This postponement, it should be noted, will be added to another topic we shouldn’t discuss: any criticism of Hamas for doing what it did on October 7.

Those who defend their right to address the war politically are today subject to two attacks from two different directions.

The first is the accusation of being treasonous, which comes from Hezbollah’s ideological and media machine. The second is not connected to that machine, and holds an independent conviction that says anything other than just deploring Israel will lead to moral damnation.

A deserted field

Beyond Hezbollah, the “party of God,” the Lebanese political and economic scene has been deserted to the point that only Najib Mikati, the caretaker prime minister, remains in the field to negotiate, pressure and bargain.

Hezbollah is responsible for this deserted political field. It has prevented the election of the country’s president. It protected the system of corruption. It did so while Israel was moving forward in its genocidal role led by the extreme right, and it did so believing that turning Lebanon into a political arena would make it easier to control it.

Hezbollah decided, on our behalf, to wage a “war of support” for the people of Gaza.

It became clear how exposed we are under the state of Hezbollah.

Until the moment of truth came, and it became clear how exposed to threat we are under Hezbollah’s rule.

But what is more serious — and what those calling for postponing politics are concealing — is that we are divided to the core in the face of Israel’s aggression and its vengeful intentions. The stories of people coming together to help those displaced by the Israeli attacks is anecdotal, and won’t do much to end their bitter civil conflict of recent years.

At this moment, politics comes as a tool to explain the failure of relief. This failure is blamed on the government whose existence is a necessity for Hezbollah despite its corruption; and on a civil failure stemming from the rift and discord that resulted from the dominance of one group over others, one party over others, one sect over others.

Hezbollah decided, on our behalf, to wage a “war of support” for the people of Gaza.

That’s fine, but doesn’t the Lebanese people deserve to have a say in this, or a horizon for a war of which they are part of? No one is a partner today. There is no politics other than what is whispered in Hezbollah’s hallways and tunnels.

Keep quiet

The call to “postpone politics” requires a belief of the war as a religious, not political event. This is consistent with Hezbollah’s understanding of war.

What is available to Hezbollah in “postponing politics” is not available to us.

And in a moment of “politics,” the party of God turns into a pragmatic machine that can exchange land for benefits, as it did in surprisingly consensual demarcating of the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel.

The problem for activists like me is that what is available to Hezbollah in the discourse of “postponing politics” is not available to us. What is required from the rest of us — and the other parties in the government — is simply to provide relief, and to stay silent.