In the wake of the recent war with Israel, Hezbollah has entered a new phase, prompting a shift in many of its long-held convictions, most notably its attachment to weapons as a bargaining chip.
What was once upheld as a symbol of dignity and pride, described by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as a divine mission, is now the subject of ridicule on social media. Even among Hezbollah’s own supporters, the arsenal is mockingly referred to as siqi laḥ laḥ, or “rickety rifles,” undermining the very source of strength the movement has long claimed.
Yet, when considering the nature of these weapons and how they are wielded, Hezbollah has few arguments left to convince its supporters. Still, decades of ideological attachment to power make acceptance of this reality a slow process.
Hezbollah originally deployed these weapons to prevent Israeli incursions into the south. However, in practice, Israel occupied southern positions and border villages, restricting access and even threatening to turn the entire area south of the Litani River into an occupied zone to secure its control.
The weapons were also meant to deter Israeli attacks more broadly. Yet the ceasefire agreement signed last November left little room for that, effectively granting Israel a free hand to strike and declare anything it considers a threat in southern Lebanon a legitimate target.
The third, “loftiest” goal was the liberation of Jerusalem. However, today, such claims have become almost laughable in the face of Israeli expansion, which has dismissed any talk of a Palestinian state or any challenge to the framework of an inevitable Israeli state.
An undeclared purpose of the arsenal has been to exert influence over domestic politics, shaping power balances during May 7 (2008), selecting a prime minister through the Black Shirts, or enforcing sectarian power-sharing. With shifting regional balances, this influence has waned. Today, Hezbollah sits sullenly during presidential elections, struggles to nominate a prime minister, and watches passively as party symbols are removed at the airport.
Meanwhile, siqi laḥ laḥ has become a trending topic on TikTok. But should this really represent the limit of Hezbollah’s vision? Lebanon’s Shia community is vibrant and full of talent and potential. Pulling the community out of this dead end requires accepting that weapons were never the solution. On the contrary, they have been the root of the problem, leaving the Shia today in a precarious position because of Hezbollah.
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