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Hizbullah's Arsenal Has Become a Liability to Lebanon

(Al Arabiya-Saudi Arabia) Makram Rabah - The U.S. government officially delivered its final proposal to Lebanon outlining a roadmap for resolving the country's security crisis. It offers a phased plan for Hizbullah's disarmament - beginning with its heavy weapons, followed by drones, and ending with individual arms. It also calls for a cessation of Israeli strikes, Israeli withdrawal from remaining occupied points in southern Lebanon, and the release of Lebanese detainees. In return, the U.S. and its international partners pledge robust support for Lebanon's reconstruction and economic recovery - contingent upon full compliance with these demands. For decades, Hizbullah has operated beyond the authority of the Lebanese state, unaccountable to its institutions, immune from criticism, and increasingly divorced from the national interest. Its narrative of "resistance" has become a threadbare excuse for political domination, economic capture, and social coercion. It is not merely unwilling to relinquish its weapons - it is unwilling to acknowledge the authority of the very state it claims to protect. Hizbullah is no longer seen as an organic Lebanese actor, but as an Iranian asset whose wars do not rally national unity. We are witnessing the unraveling of a political-military entity whose bluff has been called. Its weapons were never about defending Lebanon, they were about dominating it. When faced with a genuine military threat, Hizbullah collapsed. Hizbullah's arsenal no longer serves as a deterrent against Israel. It has become a liability. The writer is an assistant professor of history at the American University of Beirut.
2025-08-07 00:00:00
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