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3. Audacity... Taken to a Whole New Level!

We can relax now: on the first day of the year, the self-proclaimed Secretary-General of Hezbollah proudly announced that his militia had restored its strength and rebuilt its forces.

In truth, however, as they feel the ground shifting beneath them and witness dissent growing even among their most loyal followers, Hezbollah's leaders are desperately trying to keep a confident front. It’s no surprise—criticism is becoming harder to ignore. Those who once believed in the victory narrative are now asking when they will be able to return to their villages and rebuild their homes. Many, particularly within the Shiite community, are demanding accountability. The display of (illusory) military power serves both to reassure and to silence them, but the real goal is clear: to prevent any challenge to the party’s reckless policies. It’s also about saving face just days before a session that could potentially elect a new president. In essence, the message is: nothing has changed, we’re still here, and we’re as strong as ever. We’re indispensable. But the reality tells a different story. On both the ground and in the air, it’s the Israelis who are calling the shots. Even the most die-hard supporters can’t ignore this.

But the most striking part of today’s statement is the claim that the Lebanese state is now "tasked with proving its ability to take charge in the South." This is a perfect example of bad faith. In other words, it doesn’t matter that Hezbollah’s decisions have been a string of failures, that half the country lies in devastation, that 4,000 people are officially dead, or that villages in the South remain inaccessible. Responsibility, they claim, falls on the state to address these issues. And how does the state respond to this rewriting of disaster? With silence. But there are answers. Should we remind them that Hezbollah never consulted the state before dragging the country into chaos? Should we remind them that a militia waged a war against the will of the entire nation? Should we remind them that the outcome was doomed from the start? Should we remind them that Iran used Lebanon as cannon fodder for its own agenda? Obviously, we must. And shifting the blame to the state and the people is simply unacceptable.

As Colin Powell, former American Secretary of State, once said, "In a china shop, you break it, you own it." Well, since you’ve broken everything but claim you're in great shape now, here’s the bill.