The Quest to Turn Hezbollah into a Political Group

After Nazism devastated Germany and Europe, leaving a trail of death across the Mediterranean basin and beyond, the war ended on May 8, 1945, with Nazi Germany’s surrender, followed by Japan’s capitulation on September 2, 1945.

In the aftermath of the Allied victory, there was never any consideration of integrating the Axis powers – Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan – into the post-war efforts of pacification and reconstruction. Nor was there any proposal to disarm the Nazis while demanding their transformation into a political party. The Allies rose to the challenge with a clear understanding of the situation. They demonstrated political clarity and intellectual integrity in crafting a responsible and forward-looking plan.

Denazification

After the suffering humanity endured, there was no room for half-measures or political quick fixes. A sweeping campaign of denazification (Entnazifizierung) was launched from east to west. The goal was not to repurpose former Nazis but to condemn them and eradicate this lethal ideology in all its forms, symbols and potential mutations.

In August 1945, denazification was implemented through the Potsdam Agreement, which reflected the principles first outlined in January 1942 in London. The agreement called for the eradication of Nazism, not only in the military but also in the political, judicial, social, cultural, media and economic sectors. In November 1945, the Nuremberg Trials began, running through October 1946, in the very city where, from 1933 to 1938, Nazism had hosted its grand annual rallies to glorify the Führer and his ideology. The Nuremberg Military Tribunal established the first instance of international criminal law.

The Axis Tandem

According to political scientist Alfred Grosser, the objective was to completely eradicate the Nazi phenomenon, including “its very foundations.” Each of the Allies had its own approach to the denazification process. Grosser noted that the British viewed it as a “kind of disease.” The solution, they believed, was to eliminate the “carriers of the germs” so that the body could recover its health.

The Fascist-Nazi duopoly was eradicated. The tandem of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler was targeted and condemned. Mussolini was never seen as a hostage of the Germans, a victim now liberated who could contribute to European reconciliation. How can we explain that, after the numerous assassinations in Lebanon, the destruction of its banking sector and the explosion of the Beirut port, the Amal-Hezbollah tandem is seen as a potential interlocutor for Lebanon’s pacification and reconstruction? How can we explain the so-called sovereigntist voices calling for the supposedly liberated Nabih Berri to assume the role of guide in the reconciliation process? How can we understand these same voices demanding that Hezbollah be turned into a political party?

Totalitarianism

This totalitarian, criminal, indoctrinated, theocratic and Islamist entity has always been clear about its intention to erase Lebanon and replace its population. Hezbollah played a central role in the greatest scam of the century, robbing the Lebanese people and plunging them into poverty. It deliberately stored 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate in the heart of the capital, triggering, in August 2020, the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. The day after the blast, the pro-Iranian faction, alongside its ally, the Amal Movement, swiftly moved into the eastern districts of the city to purchase various properties. Hezbollah has committed numerous assassinations, kidnappings and arrests, tried intellectuals in military courts, and interrogated bishops, seizing the humanitarian aid they were transporting, as was the case with Maronite Archbishop Moussa Hage of Haifa and the Holy Land in July 2022.

Hezbollah, backed by its ally, Amal, was founded on a basis of ethnic cleansing and a sectarian, discriminatory and racist ideology rooted in hatred, violence and the unequal treatment of citizens under the law, rights and duties.

Political Recycling

Hoping for Hezbollah’s “Lebanonization” is both nonsensical and a stark contradiction. It reflects intellectual dishonesty or an unforgivable lack of insight and understanding in social anthropology and political science.

It has become widely known that the Shiite tandem continues its military agenda within the obstructionist axis (al-Moumanaa), also known as the “axis of resistance,” a project as ideological as the one pursued by the Axis powers during World War II. Its ongoing war has so far led to thousands of deaths, injuries and displaced people, with losses totaling $15 billion according to the World Bank. It continues to engage in drug trafficking, particularly Captagon, linking Latin American cartels to West Africa and the Middle East, while excelling in money laundering.

Despite the near-total destruction of its military arsenal, it continues to control the Lebanese state, its institutions, customs duties, the judiciary, ministries and the legislature. It is now leveraging these powers to advance its geo-demographic agenda, revealing plans to introduce a bill allowing displaced persons to claim land under municipal jurisdiction (machéet) in Mount Lebanon.

Taqîya

Hezbollah, a master of adaptation, excels in the practice of Taqīya (concealment), skillfully regrouping, reorganizing and reinventing itself under peaceful and seemingly respectable guises. This strategy allowed the faction to continue rearming despite the 1989 Taif Agreement and again following the 1996 “Grapes of Wrath” operation. Similarly, in 2006, it pressured the Lebanese government to secure United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, only to later oppose its enforcement. This parasitic entity, with the help of Amal, has infiltrated both public and private institutions, subtly consolidating control and positioning itself to act against the population when regional dynamics permit.

Our responsibility to future generations compels us to overcome our deep-seated fears. Though our captor has fallen, it seems we, the hostages, appear paralyzed by terror, unable to rise. Stockholm syndrome blinds us, clouds our judgement, and undermines our ability to discern. Yet, this is no ordinary struggle; it is an existential battle – for Lebanon and for us all.

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress.