https://arab.news/nay2f
The fate of Hezbollah’s arms is no longer a domestic dispute between advocates of sovereignty and supporters of the “resistance.” Since the 2023-2024 war with Israel, this question has been distilling into an existential crisis facing the party.
The slogan raised by the leader of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad — “we will die before surrendering the weapons” — reflects his awareness that his camp has no other option but to cling to what remains of its arsenal. Abandoning its arms would break Hezbollah’s political and ideological foundations.
These actions are not mere reflections of political intransigence. Given its rigid ideology and uncompromising idealism, and because Iran’s regional project is in its DNA, Hezbollah is not an agile actor with the capacity to fundamentally change in nature. Moreover, it has built its power around the notion that weapons are an identity, not merely a means to an end.
In truth, the Lebanese have never associated Hezbollah with a domestic political or economic project. Its engagement in public affairs has always revolved around the “resistance” and the imperatives of regional conflicts. Thus, surrendering its arms would entail redefining the party from scratch and sacrificing its raison d’etre.
