By Andrea Tucci,
“The resistance is here to stay,” one of the party of God deputies reiterated on Sunday. “Those who are betting on the resistance’s fatigue are deluding themselves,” reads a banner displayed by Hezbollah on the road to Beirut international airport.
For the past three days, the “resistance” of the Hezbollah has been waging its main battle and against “Israeli and American diktats” and the “violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Behind this the Lebanese state’s decision to bar an Iranian plane from landing in Beirut after being informed by Washington that Israel might target the airport.
The most staggering part of this story is that Hezbollah seems to ignore the fact that barring the Iranian plane was in line with the terms of the agreement, more importantly, it seems that it doesn’t want to reveal the hidden side of the agreement it signed.
Moreover It seems is does not even be capable to control the protests that erupted in several neighborhoods of the capital, blaming them on “undisciplined elements.”
In this case either the party is deceiving everyone; or it deliberately mobilized street protests to send a message to the authorities but did not intend for things to spiral out of control, as it can no longer afford a confrontation with the international community; or the internal divisions eating away at it have given rise to two Hezbollahs, with conflicting visions.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Beirut early Sunday to attend the funeral of Hezbollah’s former leader, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.
Hezbollah has prepared for the funeral by setting up the stadium to host tens of thousands of people while giant screens were placed along the airport road. For Hezbollah, the funeral serves as a display of force against its political opponents in Lebanon, as well as a message to President Joseph Aoun and the new government especially after Hezbollah and Iran lost influence in the new administration.
At this stage Hezbollah’s rivals have been calling on the group to lay down its weapons all over Lebanon and remain only as political faction.
Hezbollah can no longer afford to deceive itself, is the end of its long-held supremacy. After the loss of Hassan Nasrallah, its charismatic leader who could rally crowds and fighters with the mere lift of his index finger, is the time has come for political concessions.
Hezbollah’s survival, and Lebanon’s as well, depends on it. Both Aoun and Salam continue to extend a hand.
Refusing to take it would be tantamount to digging its own grave, on the road to the airport.
