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The Conflict Between Lebanon and Israel (1992-2006) What Are the Origins, Character and Significance of Hezbollah?

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The Conflict Between Lebanon and Israel (1992-2006) What Are the Origins, Character and Significance of Hezbollah? The Conflict between Lebanon and Israel (1992-2006) What are the Origins, Character and Significance of Hezbollah? Supervisor: Dr Drew Cottle Course: Master Hon 8010 Jamal El Hindi 16230965 2017 Statement of Authentication The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. Jamal El Hindi 18/12/2017 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4 The History of Shia in Lebanon, 1943-1982 ........................................................................................ 4 Social reasons for Hezbollah’s formation, 1943-1982 ........................................................................ 8 Social Structure of the Lebanese Society (1943-1982) ..................................................................... 12 Israeli aggressions on Lebanon, 1948-1982 ...................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................................. 21 A Young Leader Emerges ...................................................................................................................... 21 Nasrallah’s charismatic character. .................................................................................................... 27 What is the Significance of Hezbollah’s Social Character? ................................................................... 37 Hezbollah’s social services bodies .................................................................................................... 39 Infrastructure and Development ................................................................................................. 39 Jihad Al-Binaa Development Association. .......................................................................................... 39 The Waed Project for Reconstruction (WPR) ................................................................................... 40 Health Services ............................................................................................................................. 40 Financial Services ......................................................................................................................... 41 Social Services............................................................................................................................... 41 Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Hezbollah and Israel: How Did Hezbollah Change the Nature of the Arab-Israeli Conflict? ................ 51 A Brief History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict ........................................................................................ 51 1948 War ........................................................................................................................................... 53 1956 Triple Aaggression against Egypt ............................................................................................. 55 1967 War the Six-Days War .............................................................................................................. 55 1973 October War or the Yom Kippur War ...................................................................................... 56 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon or Operation ‘Peace for Galilee’ .................................................. 57 Three major wars under the leadership of Nasrallah. ..................................................................... 58 1993 War – Operation Accountability .......................................................................................... 59 1996 War – Operation Grapes of Wrath ....................................................................................... 60 The 2006 July War ......................................................................................................................... 60 Is Hezbollah a State within the Lebanese Failing State? ....................................................................... 71 A Brief History of the Sectarian Political System in Lebanon............................................................ 71 1 Is social equity behind the formation of Hezbollah? ........................................................................ 74 Is Hezbollah a State within a State? .................................................................................................. 80 Overview of the Islamic roots of Hezbollah ...................................................................................... 93 A Reading of the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding between ...................................................... 98 Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) ............................................................................. 98 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 109 2 Abstract The focus of my thesis is on the rise of Hezbollah as a military and political group and its significance in Lebanon and the Middle East. Many scholars consider the emergence of Hezbollah as essentially a resistance to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Critical interpretivist approach has been adopted in this study, making use of a detailed history of the Lebanese resistance. Hezbollah’s political, social and ideological character, domestic alliances and the historical governmental neglect of the Shia, the bottom class since 1943 are often subordinated when studying the rise of the organisation. The emergence of young and educated leaders and the military and financial support from Syria and Iran were also significant for Hezbollah. The main topic of the thesis is that there are many historical, social, political, ideological, economic and military reasons behind the formation of the organisation. The purpose of this research is to carry out a broad analysis of the organisation from diverse perspectives to add a new dimension to previous studies conducted in this field. The author is taking a critical interpretivist approach, making use of a detailed history of the Lebanese resistance. The growing influence provided Hezbollah with an opportunity to fill the vacuum of power within the political system in Lebanon to pose as a state within a failing Lebanese state. This project also aims to show that Hezbollah managed to develop its character from purely Islamic to a hybrid of Lebanese national and Islamic identity. The intention includes examining three major wars against Israel that changed the nature of the Arab Israeli conflict. This study will also analyse the impact of Hezbollah’s Alliance with the Christian group the Free Patriotic Movement on the politics of Lebanon. 3 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The History of Shia in Lebanon, 1943-1982 The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Marx & Engels, The Communist Manifesto. Chapter 1 in this study aims to examine the History of Shia in Lebanon, 1943-1982. The main purpose is to conclude how this era has contributed to the current events through the sectarian unjust ruling system of Lebanon. The history of the Shia in Lebanon accumulated many unanswered questions of belonging to the Land where they had lived for centuries. The quest was to achieve acceptance of the Shia by the Lebanese system and by other Lebanese as equal citizens. In addition to military and political growth, Hezbollah developed ideologically its new charter that adopted a Lebanese national-Islamic identity. It is unprecedented in the history of Islamic organisations to shift ideologies in such short period of time from focusing on belonging to the Ummah to focusing on the identity of their own county without abounding its Islamic-political character. Hezbollah had finally come to terms with its Lebanese identity by becoming part of the Lebanese government and Parliament in 1992. Hezbollah is a Lebanese military and political organisation that incorporates both Islamic character and Lebanese identity. It is a purely Lebanese party, from its leadership throughout its whole membership (Qassim, 2010, p.88). Hezbollah, which Israel and a number of western countries proclaim as a terrorist organisation, was initially formed in reaction to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon; the latter led to the fall of the Lebanese 4 capital, Beirut. This invasion was the climax of continuous Israeli aggression and invasions of Lebanon from 1948 onwards, especially in the border areas in southern Lebanon. These Israeli offensives caused tens of thousands of civilian casualties and mass destruction in the villages and towns in southern Lebanon and elsewhere. Israel used any attacks on its soldiers or citizen as an excuse to attack Lebanon, and those who lived in the south suffered the most.
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