The “Rebirth” of Hizbollah:
Analyzing the 2009 Manifesto
Benedetta Berti
In contrast to Hizbollah’s foreign policy, which shows remarkable
continuity throughout its development, the organization’s view of its
role within Lebanon has shifted quite considerably since its original 1985
formulation.
In the Open Letter, Hizbollah stated its desire to establish an Islamic
state within Lebanon, and rejected the possibility of participating in
what it saw as the inherently corrupt existing political system.13 In the
organization’s weltanschauung, the creation of this Lebanese Islamic
state, to be modeled after Iran, would be only the first step towards the
establishment of a larger pan-Islamic state that would unite all Muslims
in the region under the same government.14 Significantly, the 2009
Manifesto omits the call to create an Islamic state, and recognizes that the
Lebanese political system is the most suitable environment for Hizbollah
to operate in.
In truth, however, this shift in domestic priorities does not come as a
surprise to those who have observed Hizbollah’s political evolution over
the past decades. In fact, as early as 1992, when the organization first
decided to join the political system and participate in the parliamentary
elections, it had started to underplay the goal of creating an Islamic state,
describing it as a long term desideratum more than a practical, political
objective and in effect recognizing that the political reality of Lebanon
did not allow for the realization of an Islamic republic.15 Moreover, even
though the 1985 program was very specific as to what constituted the
final political goal for the organization in Lebanon, the Letter was not
as precise in describing Hizbollah’s means to achieve the creation of the
model Islamic state. Furthermore, it clearly stated that the leaders called
“for the implementation of the Islamic system based on a direct and
free choice of the people, and not through forceful imposition as may be
assumed by some.”16
--- Similarly, the new ideological platform lends prominence to a series
of political themes that Hizbollah developed in the past two decades,
such as the importance of administrative decentralization and the open
objection to both federalism and the current sectarian system.18 The
document in fact affirms: “The main problem in the Lebanese political
system which prevents its reform, development, and constant updating is
political sectarianism.”19 ---
http://www.inss.org.il/upload/%28FILE%291267609505.pdf
