As the proxy-Iranian conflict with Israel has moved to the Northern border with Lebanon, I realized that I knew very little about Hezbollah.
In Canada, 73 organizations are deemed to be terrorist organizations. The list is overwhelmingly populated by Islamic fundamentalist groups—though there is a smattering of neo-NAZI; Aryan; Communist; neo-Fascist; Sikh; Kurdish & Tamil groups! One of the Islamic groups is listed as “Hizballah” a.k.a.Hezbollah a.k.a. Hizb Allah (the original spelling.)
Hizb Allah logo
HIZB ALLAH
Hizb Allah has several pseudonyms. Information from the government of Canada is below:
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx#30
HIZB ALLAH IN LEBANON
The politics in Lebanon are complex…and fragile.
Lebanon used to be predominantly Christian, but estimates suggest that Muslims are in the majority now. (There has been no census since 1970 due to ‘political sensitivities’.)
The Taif Agreement helped establish a power-sharing system between the many Christian and Muslim political parties. There is an agreement called the National Pact which requires the President to be Maronite: the Prime Minister always Sunnite and the Speaker of the House Shiite.
Hizb Allah was the only military group NOT to disband after the 1975-1990 Civil War. A big problem is that they are larger and stronger than the Lebanese Army!
GEOGRAPHY
Lebanon is on the Northern border of Israel; Syria and Jordan to the East; Egypt is South and in adjacent areas there are other Islamic countries including Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Saudi, the Gulf states, including Qatar and Yemen: some have sworn to eliminate Israel.
Lebanon is ~10,500 Sq. Km. (Smaller than Northern Ireland which is 14,000 Sq. Km.!)
Israel is ~21,000 Sq. Km. (So, 1/4 the size of Ireland!)
(In comparison, the whole of Ireland is ~84,000 Sq. Km.)
HEZBOLLAH ARSENAL OF WEAPONS
Since Hamas’ attack on October 7# 2023, Hezbollah has launched saturation rocket & missile attacks to test Israeli defenses. There are claims that Hezbollah has fired ~8,000 rockets/missiles since October.
The remaining arsenal is still enormous and may be up to 150,000 rockets & missiles (many manufactured in Iran.)
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2023-10-23/ty-article-magazine/150-000-rockets-and-missiles-the-weapons-israel-would-encounter-in-a-war-with-hezbollah/0000018b-573d-d2b2-addf-777df6210000
The IRON DOME
Israel has only survived because of the “Iron Dome” which they designed to intercept rockets and missiles. Perhaps most notably, the Tamir interceptor costs as little as $40,000 per missile. By comparison, the AMRAAM interceptors used in the U.S. and Norwegian National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) cost at least $1 million apiece.
The MATH…
First, there is about 10% failure of the Iron Dome and the cost of failure is death. Recently, one Hezbollah rocket got through and killed 12 Israeli-Druze children playing on a soccer field. Those numbers will increase dramatically if Israeli defenses are ever over-whelmed.
In financial terms, if half of the rockets & missiles (75,000) are shot down with Tamir Interceptors, the cost is ~3 Billion USD. If Hezbollah have—say—30,000 guided missiles and Israel used NASAMS for interception, that cost is about 30 Billion USD! (It is a big IF whether Israel has that many NASAMS.)
Little wonder that Israel eventually decided to degrade Hezbollah forces on the ground in Lebanon. Like Hamas, Hizb Allah are committing the War Crime of placing military forces in civilian areas, so, even with precision munitions, there will be some civilian injuries and deaths.
HIZB ALLAH 1985 OPEN LETTER
If anyone doubts Hizb Allah/Hezbollah’s intentions, please read the excerpts from the 6-page translation of the original “Open Letter” written in Arabic on 16 February 1985 and addressed to the “Downtrodden in Lebanon and World.” (Or better, read the full document which is linked below the bullet points.)
Therefore what befalls the Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines or elsewhere befalls the body of our Islamic nation of which we are an indivisible part and we move to confront it out of a religious duty primarily and in the light of the general political visualization decided by the leader jurisprudent.
The main sources of our culture are the venerable Koran, the infallible Sunna and the decisions and religious options made by the jurisprudent who is the authority on tradition among us.
Each of us is a combat soldier when the call of jihad demands it.
Through its local agents, the United States is try to give people the impression that those who have put an end to its arrogance in Lebanon, who drove it out humiliated and frustrated, and to crush this plot against the downtrodden in this country are no more than a handful of fanatics and terrorists who are only concerned with blowing up drinking gambling and entertainment spots and other such activities.
We are moving in the direction of fighting the roots of vice and the first route of vice is America.
Imam Khomenyni, the leader, has repeatedly stressed that America is the reason for all our catastrophes and the source of all malice. By citing it, we are only exercising or legitimate right to defend our Islam and the dignity of our nation.
America and its allies in and the Zionist entity that has usurped the sacred Islamic land of Palestine have engaged in continue to engage in constant aggression against us and are working to constantly humiliate us. Therefore, we are in a state of constant and escalating preparedness to repel the aggression and to defend our religion, existence and dignity.
Those criminal attacks came only to reaffirm our firm belief that “you will find that those most hostile to the faithful and did you and the idolaters.”
Thus, we have seen that aggression can be repelled only with sacrifices and dignity gained only with the sacrifice of blood and that freedom is not given but regained with the sacrifice of both heart and soul.
We have risen to liberate our country, to drive the imperialists and the invaders out of it and to determine our fate by our own hands.
Nearly 1000 is the number of the victims of the crimes perpetrated against us by America, Israel and the Phalange.
Nearly ½ million Muslims have been displaced and their quarters…has been almost totally destroyed.
For the sake of the truth, we declared that the sounds of Hizballah’s nation have come to know while their basic enemies in the area: Israel, America, France, and the Phalange.
Submission by the Phalange to just rule and the trial for the crimes they have committed against both Muslims and Christians with the encouragement of America and Israel.
Giving all our people the opportunity to determine their fate and to choose as full freedom the system of government they want, keeping in mind that we do not hide our commitment to the rule of Islam and that we urge to choose the Islamic system which alone guarantees justice and dignity for all and prevents any new imperialist attempt to infiltrate our country.
As for our friends, they are all the world’s downtrodden peoples and all those who fight our enemies into her eager not to harm us, be they individuals, parties or organizations. We especially address this letter to them to say:
“… We agree with you on major and important goals embodied in the need to topple the American determination of the country, to expel the Zionist occupation that bears down heavily on the people’s lives and to strike all the Phalangist endeavours to control government and administrative affairs, even though we may disagree with you on the methods and level of confrontation.
[Clarification: the “Phalangists” appear to be the Christian militia in Lebanon during the Civil War, especially the “Lebanese Forces.” Both sides committed atrocities.]
So, Hizb Allah’s words and actions are consistent and have been so over the past 30 years—Israel is in clear and present danger.
There really are only two choices. Do not react to repeated fatal terrorist attack and eventually be eradicated…or to defend yourself?
It is a simple question for rational people: when you have no where else to go, what would you do if someone was set on the annihilation of you; your family; your community and your nation?
Kevin Hay
You can follow Kevin on 𝕏 / Twitter @ kevinhay77