LOS ANGELES.–Lebanon’s 5.49 million population is held hostage by Iran-controlled Hezbollah militia, threatening to turn Beirut into another Gaza Strip. Whatever happened to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah Sept. 27 and many other key commanders, killed in an Israeli F-15 bombing strike, Iran continues to direct Hezbollah to fire missiles into Israel. Beirut’s beleaguered population, including five Muslim sects, Maronite Catholics and other Christian sects, are held hostage by Iran who controls the tiny Mediterranean country. Iran makes it impossible for Lebanon to rebuild from its senseless 2006 war with Israel, decimating Beirut and its surrounding suburbs. With Nasrallah out of the picture, there’s no doubt Iran will name his successor soon, most likely second in command 62-year-old Hashem Safieddine who will continue Nasrallah’s war-like policies.
Unlike the Hamas-Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, Lebanon is not technicially part of the Palestine resistance movement over the fact that Hezbolallah is a Shiite-based Iranian-type militia, actually as division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. So, Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei exerts 100% control over Hezbollah, considering it part of its terrorist “Axis of Resistance,” a fake title given to Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis, with the last two having nothing really to do with Palestine resistance movements. Palestine resistance originated in 1948 after Israel was deeded the British Mandate of Palestine and took control over the Holy Land. One year later, Israel was recognized by the United Nation as the governing sovereign authority in the Holy Land. Arabs didn’t start rebelling in the Holy Land until Israel declared statehood after its War of Independence.
Arab “resistance” started only after Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, since Arabs living in the Holy Land lived under Ottoman Turk rule for over 500 years. When the Ottoman Empire was broken up in 1920, the British received sovereignty over the Holy Land and held it for 28 years until deeding the territory to Zionists, indigenous and European Jews flocking to the Holy Land to claim an independent Jewish homeland and state. Arabs in the Holy Land were labeled Palestinians by Palestine Liberation Founder Yasser Arafat in 1964, working feverishly with other Arab states to annihilate Israel at the earliest possible time. Arafat led his band of Palestinians and six other Arab states to destroy Israel in the 1967 Six-Day-War. When the dust settled, Israel had defeated all six Arab states and Palestinians, annexing Egypt’s Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula, Jordan’s East Jerusalem and West Bank and Syria’s Golan Heights.
Hezbollah has managed to work its way into controlling Lebanon’s parliament, after years of squatting in Lebanon’s southern frontier shared with Israel. Israel began a limited ground operation Lebanon called “Northern Arrows,” to clear out Hezbollah missile and weapons sites, continuing to fire rockets into northern Israel. Israel does not want war with Lebanon but faces Iran’s Hezbollah terrorists openly admitting that they’ve been at war with Israel since it declared war on Gaza Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas terrorists rampaged in southern Israel, raping, torturing and murdering 1,200 Israeli citizens and others, taking another 250 hostages. Because Hamas and Hezbollah are controlled by Iran, they consider themselves part of the Palestine resistance movement. Hezbollah’s Shiite militia is closely tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, not linked to Palestinians.
Hezbollah’s new leader Hashem Safieddine has loyalty to the Ayatollah not the Palestinian cause, something Iran likes to hide behind because Palestinians are Sunni Arabs, not part of Iran’s Shiite Muslim sect. Lebanese Catholics and Christian groups are held hostage by Hezbollah, knowing that they do not represent their interests. While Lebanon is now 67% Muslim, many of the Muslim sects, including Druze, do not subscribe to Iran’s Shiite majority, leaving the groups held hostage by Hezbollah. Lebanon cannot be free or have any autonomy with Hezbollah camping out in its Southern territory. Attempts to have Hezbollah removed from its sovereign territory have all failed over the years, with Hezbollah infiltrating Beirut’s political circles. As long as Iran controls Hezbollah, Lebanon cannot be free of the Ayatollah’s totalitarian Mullah regime.
Lebanese officials could make it clear to Iran that it wants no part of war with Israel. Whatever happens to Hamas in Gaza, it’s not part of Lebanon’s agenda to live in peace with Israel. Lebanon’s multi-religious parliament does not want war with Israel but is held hostage by Hezbollah and Iran. U.S. officials could be caught in the crossfire as Iran fires missiles into Israel, prompting a fierce response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hunkering down today taking Iran’s missile assault on Israel, the U.S. is at a crossroads. No longer can the Biden White House ignore the threat posed by Iran to Mideast stability. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the U.S. and Israel need to start hitting the Ayatollah’s oil infrastructure in Tehran and elsewhere. Now that Iran’s attacking Israel it’s time for the U.S. and Israel coordinate its next move with Iran.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
