Demonstrations in Lebanon are "a moment of truth for Hezbollah"

The protest wave, which, since October 17, has been aimed at Lebanese power and political class, considered corrupt and incompetent, is not weakening and continues to sweep across the country of Cedar. Including southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, the largest Shiite electoral bastions of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah and the Amal movement of the indepressible Speaker of the House of Deputies, Nabih Berri.

"This is a non-partisan socio-political movement that crosses all social strata, all regions and all communities, united in the fear of seeing the country fall into the precipice because of the economic crisis, explains to France 24 the Middle East political scientist Khattar Abu Diab, all Lebanese are concerned and especially those living in the south of the country, mostly Shiite and where are the most disadvantaged territories. "

النبطية تثور ضد الزعران ❤️ pic.twitter.com/7sESXOodkf

Unimaginable a few days ago, protesters attacked the offices of some Shiite deputies, including those of Mohammad Raad, president of the Hezbollah parliamentary group, or Hani Kobeissi and Yassine Jaber of the Amal party.

Clashes with anti-power protesters

"It is too early to draw any conclusions, as the protests are still ongoing, but it is to be feared that Hezbollah will try by all means to put an end to this popular movement, to nucleusize or exploit it," Khattar continues. Abu Diab: There have already been several attempts in this direction, and even today Hezbollah has sent supporters to join protesters in the heart of Beirut to create a diversion, not without creating incidents. "

On Thursday afternoon, Hezbollah sympathizers attacked protesters in central Beirut, forcing riot police to intervene to separate the two camps. Several wounded were reported during clashes by local media.

On Monday evening, hundreds of people, carrying flags of Hezbollah and Amal movement and riding on motorcycles, tried to head for Beirut's center, where protesters against power are, before being stopped at time by the Lebanese army.

On Wednesday, about 15 protesters were injured in clashes with supporters of Hezbollah and its ally Amal in Nabatiyah in the south.

Nabatiyah, a large city with a Shiite majority, has become the symbol of the uprising in the south of the country, even if the number of demonstrators is less important than elsewhere. Speech is also more measured than in the capital, where criticism is more frequent against Hassan Nasrallah.

A taboo is broken

"Many Lebanese have risen in the south of the country, a taboo has been deconstructed because what is said today in public was already said in private, says France 24 political scientist and professor at the American University of Paris Ziad Majed, so we are now speaking in the South, where some people thought nobody would dare to move. "

Worse, in parades, especially in the great coastal city of Tire, still in the South, the crowd has literally accused the very influential speaker of Parliament and former warlord to be a "thief" and to have impoverished the country by maintaining clientelism. A first for those who share power in the Shia community with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah leader, and who has several ministers of his movement in the government of Saad Hariri.

"The street has not only risen against mismanagement or corruption, the political class has been overtaken by the usury of power, hence the rejection of a character like Nabih Berri, who chairs the Chamber of Deputies since 1992, "says Khattar Abu Diab. On a billboard brandished in recent days by protesters in the capital we read: "What was there before Nabih Berri? Adam and Eve!".

But the protest did not only affect Nabih Berri, "since to a lesser extent, especially in Beirut, the protesters have included Hassan Nasrallah among the other symbols of power, says Khattar Abu Diab. Hezbollah to seek, for decades, to sanctify and protect him as a religious leader and leader of the resistance against Israel.

On the side of the Hezbollah supporters, it is categorically rejected that the image of their leader is associated with the politicians accused by the street of being corrupt, arguing that Hassan Nasrallah has no son minister or MP, and recalling that Hadi Nasrallah, his eldest son, died at the age of 18 while fighting against Israel in 1997.

Directly criticized by the demonstrators of its own community, the Shiite tandem, reputed to be good at keeping its quarters and its bases, tries to react. In a televised speech on Saturday, the Hezbollah leader claimed that his movement did not support the idea of ​​a resignation from the government, in which he participated through several ministers. He also called the protesters to restraint. "If we do not work on a solution, we will move towards a collapse of the country, it will be bankrupt," he said.

"His threatening speech and fixing red lines to the protesters did not have the desired effect since the demonstrations did not stop, and even garnishes even more their ranks, decrypts Khattar Abu Diab." Even in Nabatiyye, in his own stronghold of the South, where his word and his authority are somehow challenged. "

A crisis that can benefit Hezbollah?

But some in Lebanon fear that the current events will ultimately benefit the party of Hassan Nasrallah, which has changed over the years into a politico-military movement with regional influence, and which is the only one that has an armed arm since the end of the Lebanese civil war, in 1990.

"I do not think that Hezbollah can take advantage of the current crisis, as some people fear, because it is affected in the same way as others by the situation, and it needs the state to cover itself with regard to the threats. and regional and international pressure, says Ziad Majed, I think it is a situation that worries him very much like other leaders and political parties in the country.

"The pro-Iranian party does not want to face the international community alone, while it is under pressure and targeted by US sanctions, agrees Khattar Abu Diab, hence his desire to save the current government which offers him some legitimacy More than that, he is attached to this system because it is he who is, in a way, at the head of Lebanon by leading the political game through the shadow of his arms, and his presence within the State and government. "

And to conclude: "It is a turning point, it is even a moment of truth for Hezbollah, because the challenge also requires the establishment of a true State of law, which imposes that the decision of the war and the peace be in his hands, as it is between those of Hassan Nasrallah today.A new page has opened in Lebanon, whatever the outcome of the uprising, and I think it is a setback for all those who refuse the establishment of a real state in Lebanon ".