Politics
Weakened Hizbullah shut out in 'new Lebanon' as political landscape shifts
Hizbullah's iron grip on Lebanon appears to be slipping as new government charts a path to break free of the party's decades-long dominance.
![Lebanese President Joseph Aoun chairs the first meeting of the new government at the Baabda presidential palace near Beirut on February 11. [Anwar Amro/AFP]](/gc1/images/2025/02/19/49110-lebanon-new-government-600_384.webp)
By Nohad Topalian |
BEIRUT — Hizbullah's political influence is waning in what Lebanese politicians are calling "new Lebanon" following significant setbacks in its battle with Israel and the collapse of its key regional ally, the former Syrian regime.
The Iran-backed party's position has weakened dramatically after losing its chief Hassan Nasrallah, his likely successor Hashem Safieddine, and numerous other top-tier party leaders, Lebanese politicians said.
The fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime has further compromised Hizbullah by cutting off crucial Iranian supply routes for weapons and funding, including channels used for drug manufacturing and trafficking, politicians said.
This has created a "golden opportunity" for the government of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf to restore state sovereignty and end Hizbullah's grip on state institutions, said Other Choice Movement head Alfred Mady.
"Hizbullah should not have a place in the new Lebanon" unless it renounces the Guardian of the Jurist doctrine, which calls for loyalty to the "Guardian Jurist" -- Iranian leader Ali Khamenei -- over loyalty to Lebanon, he told Al-Fassel.
"It must back off and not embroil the Lebanese in more tragedies," he said.
Hizbullah and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on November 27. Under the terms of the truce, the Iran-backed party must withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River and surrender its weapons to the Lebanese army.
Hizbullah's diminished role
According to political analyst Mustafa Fahs, Hizbullah "may be finished militarily" after receiving a "decisive blow" that has undermined its narrative of "protecting" southern Lebanon.
After two decades of dominance, the party's influence over political decisions has "significantly declined," he told Al-Fassel.
"Hizbullah has become like any Lebanese party representing just a portion of a sect, taking its natural size in the new Lebanon."
With Hizbullah's diminished role, Lebanon appears poised for significant political transformation, Fahs said.
The shift in power dynamics is evident in the new government formation, which Janoubia editor-in-chief Ali al-Amin has described as "historic" -- the first in 20 years to be free from Hizbullah's control and blocking third.
Salam emphasized this change in a February 11 state television interview, stating that "the Lebanese state must extend its authority through its own forces across the entire territory, from the Nahr al-Kabir to Naqoura."
Public sentiment also has turned against Hizbullah.
Lebanese citizens are increasingly protesting against Hizbullah's political dominance and demanding its disarmament, according to Al-Arabiya analyst Len Khodorkovsky.
Recent Arab Barometer polling shows 67% of Lebanese citizens now view Hizbullah as a destabilizing force, up from 48% in 2021.
Thank you
There is no doubt that Hezbollah has weakened militarily and politically, but it still maintains an important role on the local scene and cannot be easily reduced from the Lebanese scene. At this stage, Hezbollah must reproduce itself and its goals in a way that is consistent with its current situation and not live in the past but rather live for the future.
A patriot is the one who is gives his life in defense of the land
Everyone who wishes for the end of Hezbollah is dreaming
For honor and loyalty are in their blood
They are the most honorable, purest and noblest men who ever existed on this earth
Enough.....
Unfortunately, the article is full of misinformation. I will refrain from saying anything because trying to correct those who made the decision to attack for unprofessional reasons is a waste of time and effort. But I will say: be patient, tomorrow will bring you the unexpected. We are entrusted with this country, and we will protect it with everything we have.
Hezbollah is a Shiite party against the Sunnis and against the interests of Sunni Muslims. Since its founding, it has been working to destroy Lebanon and the Sunni Arabs, as it derives its policy and ideology from Iran.
Hezbollah is an Islamic resistance against the usurping Zionist enemy, supported by Iran with weapons to fight Israel and defend Lebanon. This resistance has begun to play a very important political role given that the Shiite sect is the largest in Lebanon, and Hezbollah has also become a political party with political goals like any other political party that has political goals. The United States of America is playing with the minds of the Lebanese and trying to convince us that Iran controls Lebanon and that this regime is corrupt so that the Lebanese stand with it against Iran, which allows America to control Lebanon as it controls most countries of the world.