Hezbollah – State in the State

Prof. Dr. Bordás Mária

National University of Public Service
Faculty of Public Governance and International
Studies
2023
 Hezbollah
The Party of Allah
Motto of the Former Israeli Prime
Mininster
 What is Hezbollah?
• Militant Shia terrorist network based in
Southern Lebanon and funded by Iran
• Cited aim is to destroy Israel while turning
Lebanon into a Muslim state
• Call themselves the “Party of God,” and
provide social services to the local population
to gain support
• Active political party in Lebanon
 Lebanon
• Independence: after the 2nd World War
• Population: mostly Arab (95%)
- Maronite Christian: 39%
- Sunni (majority) – Síia (druz and alavite)
• Confessionalism: members of parliament are
elected proportionally based on the number of
religious groups (Christian, Sunni and Shíia)
• President: christian – Prime minister: sunni –
President of the Parliament: shía
 Peace and War in Lebanon
• Peace: during 30 years: called as „Paris of the Middle East”
• Civil War: 1973-1989: among the religious groups
• 1982: Establishment of the Shíia Hezbollah
• Recent political conflict: prime minister: Szaad Hariri (his father,
the former prime minister, Rafic Hariri was killed by the
Hezbollah and the Syrian intelligence service in the civil war)
Saud Arabia (Mohhamed crown prince) took Szaad Hariri in house
arrest in Rijad and pressurized him to resign (he could escaped to
Paris, and finally got back to his position with the help of Macron)
– reason of his capture: Hariri cannot hinder the Hezbollah, and
the Sunni Saudi government was unsatisfied with it.
Area of Hezbollah Control

Hezbollah Flag
 Background of the Conflict
• After the 1st Arab-Israeli war in 1949: 100.000
Palestine refugees in Lebanon
• 1972: Arafat and his organizations (Fatah, PLO)
- Moved to South Lebanon
- Controlled the Palestine refugee camps
- Attacked Israel
• Israeli response: air strikes in South Lebanon
• Shíia population: had to fled to Beirut
 Political Tension in Lebanon
Reason: problems of the Palestine refugees
Tension: between the Maronite Christians and the
Muslims (the Christiand did not want to support the
Palestinian refugees and host Arafat in Lebanon)
Uprising in the form of militias:
- Lebanese National Movement (Muslims)
- Phalang (Maronite Christians)
- Beirut split into militias that fought with each other
Foreign intervention: Syria and Israel
 Civil War
1978:
- Israel attacked the Palestinians in South Lebanon
- Palestinians moved until Beirut
- Beirut was surrounded by the Palestine refugee camps (The Phalangists
attacked them, but Israeli General Sharon who was there with the
Israeli military did not defend the palestinians – international scandal)
Civil war:
- Militias fought with each other and also, with the Palestinians
- Muslim split: the shíia Amal leave the Muslim LNM
- Christian split: they are in government, but the prime minister (Rafic
Hariri) was killed, after this more assasinations were committed among
them
 Foreign Intervention
Syria 2005:
- Final withdrawal from Lebanon, also from the Bekaa valley
(due to internation pressure, after assassinating the sunni Rafic
Hariri – the Syrian secret service was accused for this)
Israel: 1982:
- Attacked South Lebanon again
- Surrounded the Palestinian refugee camps and wanted to
eliminate them
- Arafat and the PLO had to leave to Tunisia (by international
pressure, because he was the trouble-maker of this situation)
 Creation of Hezbollah
Hezbollah’s initial goals were declared as to:
- “Put an end to any colonialist entity in Lebanon,
- bring the Christian Phalangists to justice for the crimes
they had perpetrated,
- and establish an Islamic regime in Lebanon.”
Actions of Hesbollah:
- Suicide attacks against the US and the French military (they
finally withdrew from Lebanon)
- Attacks against Israel, that withdraw in 1985
- Security zone was established by the Unites Nations on the
border of Israel and Lebanon (25km) in order to protect
Israel
 Development of Hezbollah

• Shia Militia, Amal: was strengthened by Syria – it was present

in South Lebanon
• Christian Phalangists acquired the power in South Lebanon,
became the South Lebanese Army – they were supported by
Israel
• Iranian Revolutionary Guard: wanted to expel Israel from South
Lebanon
- Political power vacuum was developed in South Lebanon: the
situation was used by Iran that established the Shia Hezbollah
that was subordinated and loyal to Khomeini Ayatollah, the
supreme leader of Iran
- Iran eliminated Amal and the South Lebanese Army
 Nasrallah sheik
Leader and
founder of the
Hezbollah:
since 1983 –
until recently
 „We shall not surrender, we shall not come to
terms with Israel…and we will continue to
believe and proclaim that Israel…must be
erased from existence”

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General 18/09/2009

 Wars with Israel
• In 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2006 (field military forces to
Lebanon by the Israeli military)
- Short wars (Israeli response to countinuous attacks of
Hesbollah)
- Israeli aim: disarming Hezbollah and reach armistice
- Hezbollah’s actions against Israel: missile attacks, kidnapping
Israeli soldiers for ransom, sucide attacks, car bombing
Israel could only partly reach its aim, because the United
Nations issued a resolution that the Lebanese government had
to disarm Hesbollah, but it was (and still is) so week, that
cannot force Hesbollah to do anything.
The Lebanon-Israeli War
in 2006

Israel won but not with K.O.

Hezbollah
 UN Resolution
UN resolution 1701: the Lebanese government has to disarm
Hezbollah and demilitarize the territory (to keep 25 km security zone)
-Did not happen, however the Lebanese government recognized it in
2008
-Reason: the Lebanese government is too week, but Hesbollah 1. has
strong support of the Lebanese Shíia population, 2. it has
parliamantary seats, members in the government, 3. strong military,
4. provides welfare services for the population, 5. operates in
Lebanon as „state in the state”
-UN peackeeping is still present, in order to prevent military conflict
between Israel and Hesbollah
 UNSCR 1701

An attempt to change reality in Southern Lebanon

Arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, including “the establishment

between the Blue Line and the Litani river of an area free of any armed personnel, assets
and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL”.
Implementation of relevant provisions (UNSCR 1559 and 1680) requiring the
disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon (other than LAF).
No foreign forces in Lebanon without the consent of its Government.
No sales or supply of arms to Lebanon, except as authorized by the government.

Unclassified || Slide 19
 Organization Profile

„State in the State”

Socio-
Military Political
Economic

Professional and well- Modus Vivendi with the Operates primarily in Shiite
trained army government regions
Guerilla warfare Increased influence
techniques and civilian following governmental Ideological indoctrination
shield recognition
Strategic force (UAV’s, Largely backed by Iran
Exersicing veto right
missiles, etc)

Terror component
 Hezbollah as a Political Party
• Strong political support by Iran
• Strong political influence on the Lebanese
government - the most influential political party in
the country
- Recognized territory and political organization by
the Lebanese government – „State in the State”
- Seats in the Lebanese parliament
- 11 members in the Lebanese government
- Right to veto on government decision
 Hezbollah as a Public Administation
• Providing welfare services:
- Social welfare programs
- Institute of Marthyrs: social aid to the family of the
fighters ho died
- Health care
• Educational services: schools (fundamentalist islam)
• Economic services:
- Training prgram for the farmers
- Environmental programs in agriculture
 Funding
• Western analysts estimate Hezbollah’s budget to be
$200-$500 billion annually
• Hezbollah is funded
- By shíia Islamist organizations (Iran, Syria,
charitable organizations, individual donations)
- Organized crime: illegal arms trading, cigarette
smuggling, counterfeiting, credit card fraud, theft,
illegal telephone exchanges, and drug trafficking
 Iranian Intervention
• Particpating in weapon transfer to Libanon
• Plays an active role in training and bankrolling Hezbollah
organization
• Providing an assistance for the political activity of Hesbollah

IRANIAN WEAPON FOUND IN LEBANON

 Influence of Hezbollah

- Has active cells in many Western countries all over

the world, and in Israel,
- Attacks on Americans, Jews, and Westerners – long
list (embassies, airports, military targets, civilians)
2012: attack in Burgas airport (Bulgaria) – 2 Israeli
buses with tourists were expolited
Long list of terrorist attacks in Western cuntries!
One of the most
dangerous terrorist
organizations
• Excellent military
capabilities
• High level Training
• Fanatic military
• Enjoying sufficient
financial and moral
support from Iran
 Organization of Hezbollah
• Leader: Nasrallah (shía religious scientest, military
and state leader)
• Shura Council
• Councils: executive, judicial, political jihad
- Executive council: education, social welfare, culture
- Political council: information, propaganda, party
matters, foreign affairs
- Jihad council: military operations
• Media: TV channel, newspapers
Organization Profile

Hezbollah
 The Hezbollah Program
• Devotion to Iran and the shíia movement
• Enemies: US, Israel, other Western countries
• Aim: Islamic State and elimination of Israel
• Source of the law: sharia, based on Quran, sunna, hadis
In the practical reality:
- Destabilize Israel
- Integration in the Lebanese politics
- Elective promises to the population: peace, wealth,
reforms, employment, economic growth, liberty rights
Military in Hezbollah
Fanatic Followers
Miltary of Hezbollah – Regular Army
 Advanced Weapons
Hezbollah possess dozens of UAVs, as used in the Second Lebanon War in 2006,
coastal missiles, anti-aircraft guns and more. This is backed by the Scud and M600
rockets, which allow Hezbollah to target the Israeli front from far within the
Lebanese strategic depth.

THE ZILZAL C802 COASTAL MISSILE

THE IRANIAN-MADE ABABIL UAV

SYRIAN 220M ROCKET LAUNCHER SAGGER ATGM MISSILES
MLRS of HEZBOLLAH
 Missile Arsenal
• Hezbollah has at least 80,000 missiles hidden throughout
Southern Lebanon
Katyusha 20-45 km
Shahin 2 29 km
Fajr-3 45 km
Fajr-5 75 km
Arash 20 km
Oghab 45 km
Zelzal-2 100-400 km
IGLA 9K338 SAM 5-7 km altitude
C-802 Tondar 400 km anti- ship
 Funding and Influence
• Western analysts estimate Hezbollah’s budget to be $200-
$500 billion annually
• Hezbollah is funded by Iran, Syria, charitable
organizations, individual donations, businesses, illegal
arms trading, cigarette smuggling, counterfeiting, credit
card fraud, theft, illegal telephone exchanges, and drug
trafficking
• Hezbollah has active cells in many Western countries all
over the world, and in Israel, raising money and plotting
new attacks on Americans, Jews, and Westerners
Tri-Border Area (TBA)
 Hezbollah Today
Fight in Syria on the
side of the Shía
Assad-government

Recruitment

Hezbollah
 Hezbollah Today

Arsenal Infrastructure

Smuggling UN Infractions
Smuggling

Hezbollah
 Smuggling Model
Functioning as a front-line proxy of Iran in the region, Hezbollah relies upon the
massive weapon transfers as a lifeline for its operations. The smuggling takes place by
air, land and sea, relying on pivotal Syrian support as well.

Hezbollah
Syria Iran IRGC

Syria
Storage

Swap
Zones

Depot

Lebanon
Beka’a South of
Beirut
Valley the Litani
 2020: blast in Beirut
 At least 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage, and leaving
an estimated 300,000 people homeless.
 Election 2022
Hezbollah and allies lose parliamentary majority (won 62 of the 128
seats) But the lack of an outright winner and Lebanon's rigid power-
sharing political structure means that the chance of significant change is
still low.
The election was the first held since a 2019 nationwide uprising against
a political elite widely seen as corrupt and ineffective.
An estimated 80% of Lebanon's population now live in poverty, and
there have been severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines.
 Conclusion
• Hezbollah has continued
- to expand its military capabilities,
- increased the scope of its infrastructure
- and has gained political recognition as an inherent
member of the government.
International implied acceptance of this trend has left it
confident in its power, and the right to use it, despite its
status as an illegal non-state terrorist entity.
Questions?