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Hezbollah: Socialisation and its Tragic Ironies
What drives Hezbollah’s political behaviour? For three decades we believed that the impetus of establishing an Islamic state in Lebanon was its main goal. This book disagrees. Drawn from over fifteen years of research, it traces Hezbollah’s political trajectory, or socialisation process, from its birth in 1982 to 2017. It identifies the religio-political identity and doctrine that inspire Hezbollah and the politico-strategic goals that motivate it. It argues that war-making with Israel has driven Hezbollah’s socialisation in Lebanon and the region, transforming the Islamist movement from a loose organization into one of the world’s most powerful and sophisticated armed political movements.
- GenresLebanon
256 pages, Paperback
Published January 24, 2019
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October 19, 2024
The book Hezbollah: Socialisation and its Tragic Ironies by political science professor Adham Souli takes us on a thorny and complex journey through the history of Lebanon's Hezbollah, attempting to unravel the mysteries of one of the most influential ideological and political movements in the Middle East. The book does not merely trace the historical events the movement has gone through; it delves deeply into the psychological and political interactions that shaped its path, showing that Hezbollah is not just a resistance group but a complex product of social, political, and religious interactions.
From the outset, Souli opens the door to readers with a central question: How did a movement founded amidst the chaos and Israeli occupation of Lebanon in 1982 become a key player on the regional stage? The answer lies not only in the party's ability to adapt to local and international political shifts but also in the complex process Souli calls "socialization."
With narrative skill, the author presents how this "socialization" is not merely a process of integration into the political system but an ongoing effort aimed at influencing social and political conditions to realize the party's vision. Rather than depicting Hezbollah as a closed entity, the book portrays it as an organization that interacts with its environment, seizing opportunities and reshaping its strategies. Over the decades since its founding, Hezbollah has not been merely an instrument of Iran, as some might think, but has succeeded in expanding its support base, not only among Lebanese Shiites but also on the regional stage.
Souli reviews the transformations Hezbollah has undergone. The chapter on identity presents the party as a complex mix of religious loyalty to Iran and local Lebanese politics. Through meticulous analyses, the author shows how the Shia ideology adopted by the party is not merely a religious framework but the foundation of its survival strategy. The concept of Wilayat al-Faqih, which places Iran’s Supreme Leader at the heart of the party's authority, is key to understanding its strategic alliances, especially with Syria and Iran, which have helped maintain Hezbollah’s central role in the regional equation.
The wars the party has fought, especially with Israel, are a turning point in its history, highlighted in a chapter that discusses war as a formative process. Souli paints a picture of how the party has shaped its identity through armed conflict and how the experience of war with Israel was not only a test of its strength but also a foundational factor in building its legitimacy as a resistance force. The author carefully examines the pivotal moments that shaped the party's trajectory, from victories in southern Lebanon to more complicated interventions in regional wars.
Adham Souli does not mention any cooperation between Hezbollah and Israel, as the relationship between the two sides has always been based on deep and continuous enmity. Since its inception, Hezbollah has defined itself as an Islamic resistance movement against the Israeli occupation, and the book focuses on this long-standing hostility and the military conflicts the party waged against Israel, from the occupation of southern Lebanon to the 2006 war.
Souli did not refer to any security breaches against the party up to the moment of writing and publishing the book in 2019, although he did discuss military and espionage operations carried out by Israel against the party. However, the book does not allocate much space to detailed accounts of specific security breaches. The core focus of the book is on direct war strategies and the regional conflicts in which the party has participated.
As the narrative unfolds, the book reaches a crucial turning point: Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian war. Here, Hezbollah enters a new phase of the tragic contradictions referred to in the book’s title. Souli raises a central question: How can a movement claiming to fight for freedom and liberation support an authoritarian regime like Assad's in Syria? This chapter shows how the party fell into the trap of political contradictions, as its strategic calculations led it to side with regional allies at the expense of its moral image. The intervention in Syria was not merely a military step but a pivotal moment that revealed the high price the party was willing to pay to maintain its alliances. Souli’s criticism of the party’s shameful involvement in Syria’s war was not harsh enough, and I will address this in the observations.
Notably, the "socialization" process that Hezbollah underwent was not smooth or error-free. In the final chapter, Tragic Contradictions, Souli presents a complex picture of Hezbollah in the post-Syrian war era. Here, the party becomes trapped between maintaining its legitimacy as a resistance force and the reality of being part of the regional political game, defending an authoritarian regime and losing some of the support it once enjoyed.
There are doses of deep psychological and political analysis of a complex movement living in a world full of challenges. With narrative skill and profound academic analysis, Adham Souli offers a clear and comprehensive picture of Hezbollah, opening the door to questions about its future in an increasingly complex region.
However, Souli's theory of "socialization," which he emphasizes as a key tool for understanding Hezbollah's trajectory, feels like the cornerstone of every analysis and observation he presents. While he succeeds in demonstrating the complexity of the party's adaptation process, readers may sometimes feel that his excessive focus on this theory comes at the expense of delving into the historical and political events themselves. Souli was so preoccupied with outlining the book's theoretical framework that some critical historical moments passed without sufficient depth in the details or in highlighting influential figures. Moreover, this socialization process was dismantled by the party's participation in the Syrian war, causing Hezbollah to lose many of its men, leading it to recruit large numbers who had not undergone this socialization—a significant gap that made the party include individuals who could be sold out at any time.
Returning to the issue of Hezbollah's intervention in the Syrian war, Souli addresses this, clarifying the moral and political contradictions the party faced. But here, the reader might wonder: Was the criticism sharp enough? Did the author confront the party boldly about its role in the massacres and violations associated with its involvement in Syria? Souli touches on these issues but at times seems hesitant to direct direct or harsh criticism about the seriousness of this matter from a religious and moral standpoint.
In the same context, the book could have included more explicit and strong opposition perspectives. How might the book have looked, for example, had it presented a clearer picture of the views of Hezbollah's critics within Lebanon or the region? This could have created a better balance between the party's narrative and those who criticize it.
Overall, the book is good for understanding Hezbollah’s politics, and I believe it will soon be translated by one of the Arab publishing houses.
From the outset, Souli opens the door to readers with a central question: How did a movement founded amidst the chaos and Israeli occupation of Lebanon in 1982 become a key player on the regional stage? The answer lies not only in the party's ability to adapt to local and international political shifts but also in the complex process Souli calls "socialization."
With narrative skill, the author presents how this "socialization" is not merely a process of integration into the political system but an ongoing effort aimed at influencing social and political conditions to realize the party's vision. Rather than depicting Hezbollah as a closed entity, the book portrays it as an organization that interacts with its environment, seizing opportunities and reshaping its strategies. Over the decades since its founding, Hezbollah has not been merely an instrument of Iran, as some might think, but has succeeded in expanding its support base, not only among Lebanese Shiites but also on the regional stage.
Souli reviews the transformations Hezbollah has undergone. The chapter on identity presents the party as a complex mix of religious loyalty to Iran and local Lebanese politics. Through meticulous analyses, the author shows how the Shia ideology adopted by the party is not merely a religious framework but the foundation of its survival strategy. The concept of Wilayat al-Faqih, which places Iran’s Supreme Leader at the heart of the party's authority, is key to understanding its strategic alliances, especially with Syria and Iran, which have helped maintain Hezbollah’s central role in the regional equation.
The wars the party has fought, especially with Israel, are a turning point in its history, highlighted in a chapter that discusses war as a formative process. Souli paints a picture of how the party has shaped its identity through armed conflict and how the experience of war with Israel was not only a test of its strength but also a foundational factor in building its legitimacy as a resistance force. The author carefully examines the pivotal moments that shaped the party's trajectory, from victories in southern Lebanon to more complicated interventions in regional wars.
Adham Souli does not mention any cooperation between Hezbollah and Israel, as the relationship between the two sides has always been based on deep and continuous enmity. Since its inception, Hezbollah has defined itself as an Islamic resistance movement against the Israeli occupation, and the book focuses on this long-standing hostility and the military conflicts the party waged against Israel, from the occupation of southern Lebanon to the 2006 war.
Souli did not refer to any security breaches against the party up to the moment of writing and publishing the book in 2019, although he did discuss military and espionage operations carried out by Israel against the party. However, the book does not allocate much space to detailed accounts of specific security breaches. The core focus of the book is on direct war strategies and the regional conflicts in which the party has participated.
As the narrative unfolds, the book reaches a crucial turning point: Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian war. Here, Hezbollah enters a new phase of the tragic contradictions referred to in the book’s title. Souli raises a central question: How can a movement claiming to fight for freedom and liberation support an authoritarian regime like Assad's in Syria? This chapter shows how the party fell into the trap of political contradictions, as its strategic calculations led it to side with regional allies at the expense of its moral image. The intervention in Syria was not merely a military step but a pivotal moment that revealed the high price the party was willing to pay to maintain its alliances. Souli’s criticism of the party’s shameful involvement in Syria’s war was not harsh enough, and I will address this in the observations.
Notably, the "socialization" process that Hezbollah underwent was not smooth or error-free. In the final chapter, Tragic Contradictions, Souli presents a complex picture of Hezbollah in the post-Syrian war era. Here, the party becomes trapped between maintaining its legitimacy as a resistance force and the reality of being part of the regional political game, defending an authoritarian regime and losing some of the support it once enjoyed.
There are doses of deep psychological and political analysis of a complex movement living in a world full of challenges. With narrative skill and profound academic analysis, Adham Souli offers a clear and comprehensive picture of Hezbollah, opening the door to questions about its future in an increasingly complex region.
However, Souli's theory of "socialization," which he emphasizes as a key tool for understanding Hezbollah's trajectory, feels like the cornerstone of every analysis and observation he presents. While he succeeds in demonstrating the complexity of the party's adaptation process, readers may sometimes feel that his excessive focus on this theory comes at the expense of delving into the historical and political events themselves. Souli was so preoccupied with outlining the book's theoretical framework that some critical historical moments passed without sufficient depth in the details or in highlighting influential figures. Moreover, this socialization process was dismantled by the party's participation in the Syrian war, causing Hezbollah to lose many of its men, leading it to recruit large numbers who had not undergone this socialization—a significant gap that made the party include individuals who could be sold out at any time.
Returning to the issue of Hezbollah's intervention in the Syrian war, Souli addresses this, clarifying the moral and political contradictions the party faced. But here, the reader might wonder: Was the criticism sharp enough? Did the author confront the party boldly about its role in the massacres and violations associated with its involvement in Syria? Souli touches on these issues but at times seems hesitant to direct direct or harsh criticism about the seriousness of this matter from a religious and moral standpoint.
In the same context, the book could have included more explicit and strong opposition perspectives. How might the book have looked, for example, had it presented a clearer picture of the views of Hezbollah's critics within Lebanon or the region? This could have created a better balance between the party's narrative and those who criticize it.
Overall, the book is good for understanding Hezbollah’s politics, and I believe it will soon be translated by one of the Arab publishing houses.
Displaying 1 of 1 review