What Lies Beyond, and Beyond Hamas
Johnny Kortbawi 10/10 13:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Hamas
Both sides in Palestine can claim a form of victory from the negotiations that ended the war in Gaza. Palestinians may see their success in the delivery of humanitarian aid, the release of prisoners, the halt of attacks on the Strip and the prevention of plans mentioned in some statements to depopulate Gaza. Meanwhile, Israelis may view their main ...
Who Gains from Delaying the Elections?
Johnny Kortbawi 07/10 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for spring 2026, face an unprecedented delay as political actors across the sectarian spectrum weigh their strategic interests. For the first time in the country’s history, postponing the elections appears to be a shared goal. All parties are unprepared, whether directly or indirectly, to hold the ...
Why Did the Government Overlook the Report on District 16?
Johnny Kortbawi 03/10 13:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
elections Lebanon parliament voting law District 16
Different considerations govern expatriate voting, an issue on which Speaker Nabih Berri was adamant, declaring that “Bible and Quran precede electoral law,” meaning the article in question will not be amended under any circumstances. This leaves us with two possibilities: either proceed with the law as it stands with District 16 included in ...
Contours of Sanctification and Demonization
Johnny Kortbawi 30/09 09:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Lebanon
There is no doubt that emotions among Hezbollah’s supporters remain raw on the first anniversary of the assassination of the militia’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah. He was regarded as both an inspiration and a leader, and it’s not surprising that many in the movement’s base approached him in ways that verge on sanctification or even ...
Berri: No Cause for Concern...
Johnny Kortbawi 26/09 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Lebanon Nabih Berri Speaker Shia
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri speaks only when circumstances demand it or when a message must be conveyed, whether on domestic or external fronts. He has mastered the art of choosing his words, his audience, and the medium through which they are delivered. This is the result of forty years of political shrewdness, which has taught him how to ...
Between the State and the Rock…
Johnny Kortbawi 23/09 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hassan Nasrallah Baalbeck Banks Free Patriotic Movement Hezbollah
In Lebanon, even rocks can spark existential crises. The Raoucheh Rock has become the focus of a growing political and public controversy after plans emerged to project an image of Hezbollah’s former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, alongside Hashem Safieddine, onto the rock to mark the anniversary of their death last year. What began as a ...
Of Stones and Rocks
Johnny Kortbawi 19/09 11:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hassan Nasrallah Hezbollah Lebanon Raoucheh
The Raouche Rock crisis has no real bearing on Lebanon’s political life. Yet, it does reveal the deep divide in how political figures are perceived: either as sacred icons or as demons. Hezbollah’s fabricated controversy over projecting the images of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine on the rock to mark their assassination is nothing more ...
The Surge of Pages and Rumors
Johnny Kortbawi 16/09 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
In recent months, pages linked to the Axis of Resistance have grown on social media like fungi. There is no longer any way to keep track of them: every day or two, a new page appears under a different name but with the same content promoting the axis’s narrative in all its domestic and regional dimensions. These are not mere social media ...
Revisiting History in the Lebanese Mind
Johnny Kortbawi 12/09 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Israel Lebanon Syria Palestinians Bachir Gemayel
In just a few hours, Lebanon will mark the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of President Bachir Gemayel—an event that altered the course of the Lebanese Civil War, establishing a new center of gravity within the conflict. Bachir’s election embodied the balance of regional and international power in Lebanon, from the dynamics of ...
When Immorality Becomes a Profession
Johnny Kortbawi 09/09 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
There is no precise or scientific description of the moral collapse Lebanon has been experiencing for years. Yet in recent weeks, this decline has taken on unprecedented forms, with public discourse sinking to new lows. The Lebanese Shias are enduring hardships at every level. What is even more troubling is that some deliberately seek to ...
The Guardianship Syndrome
Johnny Kortbawi 05/09 15:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Middle East Lebanon Syria France
Lebanon’s modern history has been shaped by successive forms of foreign tutelage, beginning with the proclamation of Greater Lebanon 105 years ago. Over the course of half a century, the country experienced various mandates and occupations: 23 years under the French Mandate, 30 years under Syrian domination, alongside repeated Israeli invasions ...
Hezbollah’s Rickety Rifles: From Strength to Mockery
Johnny Kortbawi 02/09 17:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Israel Lebanon weapons
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 ...
Perhaps What Is Meant Is the Collapse of Deadlines…
Johnny Kortbawi 30/08 14:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Benjamin Netanyahu US Tom Barrack Lebanon Syria
Tom Barrack has made more than one misstep – mistakes that some might even consider political sins. The issue is not simply what he told journalists at Baabda Palace, but the deeper political and strategic implications of his words. At a time when the government is moving toward the point of no return on Barrack’s proposal, and after failing ...
Naim Qassem: Pro-Sovereignty Reformist
Johnny Kortbawi 26/08 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army naim qassem
At its core, the issue is that Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, has been seeking ways to convince his audience that handing over the group’s weapons to the state has become inevitable, particularly in the wake of the party’s military and political setbacks suffered over the past year. Qassem has repeatedly approached ...
The Arrogance of Wasted Time
Johnny Kortbawi 22/08 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Washington Palestinian camps
The handover of Palestinian weapons from the camps to the Lebanese state marks the beginning of a historic shift: the effort to confine all arms within Lebanon and close a chapter that has weighed on the country for nearly six decades – the use of Lebanese soil as a battlefield for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is evident to all regional ...
A Negotiating Margin Out of Reach
Johnny Kortbawi 19/08 14:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel United Nations Tom Barrack Morgan Ortagus
Lebanon still has much to accomplish. Despite the government’s declarations, practical steps remain limited, leaving doubts about whether the country is honoring its commitments in the eyes of the international community. This was the core message conveyed during Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus’ meetings with Lebanese officials. The points ...
Larijani and the Original Sin
Johnny Kortbawi 15/08 09:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is among the closest officials to the Supreme Leader Khamenei and a successor to figures like Qassem Suleimani, who shaped Iran’s regional security and political influence. Larijani’s latest visit to Lebanon, coming after recent Lebanese government decisions and ...
‘Axis of Resistance’ Calculations Come Up Short
Johnny Kortbawi 12/08 20:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Free Patriotic Movement Hezbollah Lebanese Forces
The entire “Axis of Resistance” has a recurring problem with numbers and calculations – a game it has often played and lost, sometimes with almost absurd results. If Hezbollah’s closest ally before its recent distancing to gain favor ahead of the elections – the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) – cannot get the numbers right, what hope ...
Mohammad Raad’s Misfortunes with Life and Death!
Johnny Kortbawi 09/08 15:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Mohammad Raad has served as a Lebanese MP for over three decades, since the first post-Taïf Parliament in 1992. As head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, which marked Hezbollah’s first parliamentary entry, Raad has witnessed all phases of post-war Lebanon. His combat experience is evident in his speech, marked by a stern expression even in ...
Trading Arms for Power: Hezbollah’s Political Bargain
Johnny Kortbawi 05/08 20:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah Israel United States
The issue of Hezbollah’s weapons is no longer confined to a small elite who once represented a silent majority and feared Hezbollah’s refusal to constructively engage. Today, the weapons file is firmly on the table, openly discussed under sustained Arab and international pressure. The August 5 Cabinet session holds historic significance, on ...
Welcome Back!
Johnny Kortbawi 02/08 20:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Middle East Benjamin Netanyahu Washington ortagus
As soon as press leaks emerged suggesting that the Lebanese file was being taken away from US envoy Tom Barrack and handed back to former envoy Morgan Ortagus, a certain optimism resurfaced among the Lebanese. This might be explained by the fact that Ortagus is seen as more than just a US envoy; she has indeed become some kind of celebrity in ...
Same Mistakes, Different Times
Johnny Kortbawi 29/07 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanese history is marked by a long string of repeated missteps, errors that quietly pile up as the country resists any course correction. They’re the product of a persistent pattern of poor decisions, while entrenched political forces keep trying, in vain, to turn the tide in their favor. Today, Lebanon is repeating a familiar mistake, one ...
Reluctant Settlements with No Preconditions
Johnny Kortbawi 25/07 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel United States Tom Barrack
Lebanon is in a position few would envy in the current round of settlements. This situation does not stem from a government crisis, but from the dominance of a single party. Had the state itself been responsible for the decisions that brought us here, the outcome—though difficult—might have been more acceptable. Unfortunately, Lebanon is now ...
Barrack to Lebanon: Address Your Internal Issues!
Johnny Kortbawi 22/07 09:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Hezbollah United States Tom Barrack
Tom Barrack’s third visit to Lebanon warrants a careful reading between the lines—coming, as it does, after Beirut conveyed its message to Washington and received a US response. On his first trip, the US emissary was notably diplomatic and optimistic, speaking at length about Lebanon’s prospects. But that optimism was tempered ...
Baalbek: Timeless Heritage and Enduring Vision
Johnny Kortbawi 18/07 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Baalbek Baalbek Festival
The Baalbek International Festival is far more than a dazzling display of performances and music. Baalbek, with its ancient past and the weight of history etched into its temples, transcends anything a single lifetime could fully comprehend. While the festival carries undeniable historical significance, it is also deeply intertwined with the very ...
Barrack, Greater Syria and Lebanon’s Precarious Future
Johnny Kortbawi 15/07 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Middle East
It is remarkable how a single phrase—whether a diplomatic misstep or a calculated message—can ignite such a storm of debate and unease, both in Lebanon and abroad, especially at a moment when the specter of redrawn borders looms once again over the Middle East. Thomas Barrack’s recent remark ...
Gebran Bassil’s No-Win Choice
Johnny Kortbawi 11/07 20:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Gebran Bassil Free Patriotic Movement Gulf Hezbollah Joseph Aoun
One of the most powerful roles ever played by legendary Meryl Streep was that of Sophie in the iconic film Sophie’s Choice, now regarded as a masterpiece of world cinema. The movie delves into the ethical, psychological, and spiritual torment of making impossible choices in the darkest moments of human history. Based on both a true story and a ...
Tripoli of the Levant and the Challenges of Regional Maps
Johnny Kortbawi 08/07 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Israel is keenly aware that the Middle East’s numerous religious minorities harbor deep-rooted anxieties. As for the religious majority—namely, the Sunni community—its historical perspective is shaped less by the framework of modern nation-states and more through the prism of empire, inherited from the Ottoman era and substantially ...
Hezbollah’s Last Bargain
Johnny Kortbawi 05/07 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Hezbollah Amal Israel Lebanese Army Middle East
Hezbollah continues to maneuver under the weight of periodic foreign pressure, and the discourse of its remaining leadership around disarmament is beginning to shift. At the outset of the conflict, the party maintained an unyielding stance, categorically rejecting any discussion of surrendering its weapons and insisting that the aggression it ...
What Is the Shia Issue with the Diaspora?
Johnny Kortbawi 01/07 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Amal Hezbollah Expat Vote Diaspora Shiite
The issue of expatriate voting - if it makes it onto Parliament’s agenda - has taken on a sectarian dimension, placing the Shia community in an increasingly contradictory position, both in relation to the broader Lebanese diaspora and to the very idea of Lebanese emigration itself. This tension is especially perplexing given that Shias ...