I'm Here, I'm Here!!

On Friday, May 11^th, Hassan Nasrallah publically referred to Hezbollah’s ability to launch long-range missiles at Tel Aviv. This announcement took place during a ceremony that celebrated the completion of the 5-year “Waad” project to rebuild the Beirut Southern Suburbs. The project was launched by the Jihad al-Binaa Organization after the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, and has been funded by Iran. For Nasrallah, these types of statements are neither surprising, nor new. Nasrallah feels left out.

Governments in the region and around the world are currently facing a variety of challenges: bloodshed in Syria, economic sanctions on Iran, a potential Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and economic crises in Europe. No one remembers Hezbollah, once a powerful and influential figure, who threatened and destabilized the Levant.

Indeed, in the last few months Nasrallah announced that in the case of an Israeli attack on Iran, Hezbollah will reciprocally attack Israel. Also, Nasrallah has lately stated that his organization will stand next to President Bashar al-Assad if there is a Western attack on Syria. However, as Nasrallah has done nothing to execute his threats, these statements seem to be an empty shell.

Unfortunately for Nasrallah, it seems that just as governments ignore Hezbollah, so does the Israeli media. Historically the media has terrified the Israeli public with reports of the organization, but it seems that those same outlets have forgotten Hezbollah and what it is capable of. The Israeli media is fixated on the Iranian threat, and barely mentions Hezbollah. No one looks to the Northern border and not all remember the 2006 damages Hezbollah had caused.

It is in this context Nasrallah stressed that

“Lebanon is still in the circle of the “Israeli” threat.” “The resistance that they wanted to destroy increased in its strength and capabilities,” he said, “assuring that “the hand that reconstructed remains on weapons to impose new equations.”

In the Lebanese domestic arena, however, Hezbollah is more relevant than ever. It is one of the most influential parties in Lebanon. Lately, in addition to concern over the spill-over of the Syrian crisis to Tripoli, the hot topic on the table is the electoral law. Brought by the Lebanese Interior Minister, Marwan Charbel, the new electoral law is based on proportional representation and will take effect in the 2013 parliamentary polls. The proposition had sparked controversy among the rival political parties, as the March 14 alliance rejected the proposal, while the March 8 bloc have voiced support for it.

Hezbollah reiterated that proportional representation is the most adequate option, as it reveals and represents the real weight of each party in the country. The Shiite community in Lebanon is estimated to be around 2,500,000 inhabitants, i.e. 60.7% of the population. Passing the proposal in the next few months would assured the victory of Hezbollah and its allies in the next elections.

   

        As always, Hezbollah wants to stay pertinent in the Lebanese arena as well as in regional and international arenas. The path Nasrallah is choosing is one of tempestuous statements against its standard enemies: Israel and the United States. However, these statements have not made the organization seem as fierce as it once was. Hezbollah increasingly looks to be the backup force of Syria and Iran rather than a powerful ethnic militant group.

   

     Nasrallah feels left out. Maybe no one cares anymore. He wants to draw the world's attention and he chooses a childish way of doing so – he shouts the loudest, hoping to get attention. And if that doesn't work, he can always pick a fight. He has the ability to launch long-range missiles at Tel Aviv, you know.

Citation from Hezbollah’s official website:

 http://www.english.moqawama.org/essaydetails.php?eid=19893&cid=313

http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/40486-nasrallah-s-political-aide-urges-govt-to-assume-responsibility-throughout-lebanon

See also: “Lebanon Demographics Profile 2012,” Index Mundi, n.d. available at: http://www.indexmundi.com/lebanon/demographics_profile.html; “Mapping the Global Muslim Population – a Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population,” PEW Research Center, October 2009, available at:

http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Orphan_Migrated_Content/Muslimpopulation.pdf