Tough talk but few solutions as Nasrallah rallies support in Hezbollah’s southern stronghold
▶ Leader cheered on by thousands as he defends right to carry weapons
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has insisted on the group’s right to carry weapons and magnified the threat of an Israeli attack only days before Lebanon’s elections.
Nasrallah compared the parliamentary polls to the war in July 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah, a political party and regional militia that is considered to be a terrorist group by several countries.
“You must be victorious in this political July war,” he said.
His supporters said he was focusing on what was most important in the face of attacks against its right to bear arms since the 1975-1990 civil war.
“Unfortunately today, the focus is on the resistance and the fact that it should abandon its weapons,” said Nabatieh Mayor Ali Kahil. “But that would be the end of all hope.”
Yet, during an hour-long speech on Monday, Nasrallah had few solutions to offer the Lebanese people, three quarters of whom have been plunged into poverty by more than two years of financial crisis.
His lack of focus on daily issues did not appear to be a problem for supporters, who came to listen to the first of many electoral speeches he has planned for this week. Thousands gathered for the event, which was simultaneously broadcast on a giant screen in another party stronghold, the coastal town of Tyre.
The event brought the city to a standstill, opening with pro-Hezbollah chanting and the release of thousands of coloured balloons. The open-air space was so packed that dozens watched from rooftops.
“We don’t vote with ink. We vote with blood,” said a man with a toddler in his arms. Like thousands of others, the child held a yellow Hezbollah flag.
“People of the resistance in the south do not need material things,” said Ibrahim, who attended the rally with his wife, Fatima. “If it’s cold, we’ll wear covers. If there’s no electricity, we’ll use a candle. The most important thing is to preserve your principles and your dignity.”
But cracks are appearing. Some local people are exasperated at Hezbollah’s inability to address Lebanon’s economic meltdown despite its effective control of Parliament. Traditional sectarian parties have made no serious attempt to hold the banking sector to account for illegal capital controls that locked many out of their savings and led to protests and attacks on banks.
In Nabatieh, Hezbollah critics have formed a strong opposition list that could lead to the election of south Lebanon’s first opposition MP.
Hezbollah is worried, according to opposition candidate Wafic Rihan, who said the party’s lavish electoral display in Nabatieh was a first.
“They need to make more efforts to remain in control,” he told The National.
Mohamed Jaber, 35, who attended Hezbollah’s rally, shrugged off the opposition’s importance. “Isn’t this a democracy? If they win, what’s the problem?” he said.
Personal criticism of Nasrallah, who is also a Shiite cleric, remains taboo. Supporters call him “Hadi’s father”, in reference to the 17-year-old son he lost to an Israeli ambush in 1997.
But many Shiites such as Mr Rihan, 67, a retired tax inspector, are critical of Hezbollah’s monopoly of the “resistance” to Israel, and its claim to represent all Lebanese Shiites.
Five people from the opposition list, including Mr Rihan, were imprisoned by Israel during its 1978-2000 occupation of south Lebanon.
“Hezbollah monopolises the resistance and exploits it for political purposes,” he said.
The biggest unknown is how many people will vote on Sunday. Participation is usually about 45 per cent in south Lebanon, Mr Rihan said.
“There are three kinds of people,” said the opposition figure, who hopes voter participation will increase this year. “Those with Hezbollah and Amal, those against them, and the biggest group – those who do not vote.”
Nabatieh’s younger generation is more concerned about the economy and a lack of jobs than Israel.
Yet the idea of an international “siege” against Hezbollah and Lebanon persists. Many point fingers at the US for blocking a World Bank-funded regional deal with Jordan, Syria and Egypt to provide Lebanon with six more hours of electricity a day. The Lebanese state currently provides only two or three hours.
For Mr Kahil, only loyalty to Hezbollah can improve people’s lives.
“We see more attachment to the resistance,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll see that translated at the ballot box on May 15.”