Hezbollah
Rides A New Popularity
By Dahr Jamail
07 August, 2006
Inter
Press Service
BEIRUT, Aug 7 (IPS)
- As the war in Lebanon approaches the one-month mark, and amid the
destruction of much of Lebanon, Hezbollah appears to be gaining strength
within the country and around the Arab world.
The Israeli aim of widespread
bombing of the Lebanese infrastructure in order to create resentment
against Hezbollah seems to have played into the strengths of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, known in many
western countries as a "terrorist organisation", is widely
seen in Lebanon as a legitimate political and social power.
One reason for this, according
to an official representative of Hezbollah and member of the Lebanese
Parliament, is that Hezbollah has never aimed to turn Lebanon into an
Islamic state.
"Hezbollah is a democratic
party whose principles are based on the Lebanese constitution,"
Tarad Hamade told IPS. "This means we have to respect the cultural
and religious diversity in the country. We have never intended to establish
an Islamic state."
Hamade, who is also labour
minister, said: "Israel wants to terrorise the country and inflict
as much damage as possible. They call us terrorists, at the same time
as they are exercising state terrorism. Are they not terrorists?"
More and more Lebanese are
beginning to hold this view.
Lebanese see the destruction
by Israelis all around them. The damage to the civilian infrastructure
will cost billions of dollars to fix.
All three of Lebanon's airports
and all four of its ports have been bombed. Damage done to houses and
businesses is estimated at above a billion dollars. At least 22 fuel
and gas stations have been bombed. Scores of factories have been damaged
or destroyed.
Red Cross ambulances, government
emergency centres, UN peacekeeping forces and observers, media outlets
and mobile phone towers have been bombed -- all in violation of international
law.
Mosques and churches have
been bombed, and illegal weapons such as cluster bombs and white phosphorous
used. More than 90 percent of those killed, close to 1,000 according
to official estimates, are civilians.
The result is that rather
than pressuring Hezbollah by destroying Lebanon, Israel has increased
popular support for the group, and brought the wishes of most Lebanese
more in line with the stated goals of Hezbollah to keep Israel at bay.
With Hezbollah engaged in
at least 60 percent of the relief efforts in Lebanon, the kind of work
that gave it power in the first place is now only increasing its popularity.
Israel could also have fallen
for the military strategy of Hezbollah. Hezbollah would like nothing
more than to engage the Israeli military in a guerrilla war in southern
Lebanon - and this has begun already now that Israeli troops are in
the south, and suffering casualties.
Hamade says Hezbollah's stated
demands for a ceasefire are simple and have remained unchanged since
the beginning of the conflict.
"There can only be ceasefire
if Israel stops firing as soon as possible, accepts an exchange of prisoners
and leaves Lebanon." But more than 10,000 Israeli troops now occupy
parts of southern Lebanon, widespread air strikes continue, and Israel
refuses a prisoner exchange.
IPS recently interviewed
a Hezbollah fighter who asked to be called "Ahmed". The Israeli
aggression has only made him a more determined fighter.
"I care about my people,
my country, and I'm defending them from the aggression," he said.
"My home now in Dahaya (southern Beirut) is in ruins. Everything
in my life is destroyed now, so I will fight them."
Like most followers of Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah, Ahmed said: "We are all with him. He has
given us belief and hope that we can push the Zionists out of Lebanon,
and keep them out forever. He has given me purpose."
He added: "We are like
the French resistance against the Nazis."
Mohamed Slaibi, a 21-year-old
business student at the American University of Beirut (AUB), said that
he has never supported Hezbollah, but he now feels it is their right
to defend Lebanon.
"And now I feel betrayed
by America," Slaibi said. "The U.S. supports Israel 100 percent
in everything they do. Even though my dream was to go to the U.S., and
I study at AUB, now I hate the Americans for supporting Israel."
This is just the kind of
sentiment that Israel did not want to provoke. And it has been caused
by the extent of the Israeli aggression. In the past Israeli attacks
were aimed primarily at Hezbollah, but now all Lebanese people are suffering.
It is well known that Hezbollah
enjoys strong political support from Syria and Iran, and likely receives
arms and munitions from those countries, but more than ever it is enjoying
the support of the Lebanese people.
And it certainly seems to
have resources. "Some of it is donations from the Lebanese people,"
Hamade said. "Some of it is revenues from companies established
by Hezbollah. In addition, Muslims pay 'Zaqaat' (a voluntary donation
for the cause of religion). The arms we can buy on the market. There
is an endless supply of arms."
Hezbollah can of course not
match Israel in weaponry. "We might not be as powerful as the Israeli
army but we will fight until we die," Hamade said.