Arabs No Longer Buying the Lies of Hamas, Hezbollah
"Where is the victory? How much did it cost? What defeat is more terrible than such losses? How can one claim victory in the face of a massacre that has destroyed all the logic of resistance? It's not too late to ask Hezbollah to explain its unilateral and deadly decision to open the confrontation [with Israel] under Iran's cover." — Nabil Bou Monsef, prominent Lebanese journalist, kataeb.org, November 27, 2024.
Over the past 14 months, Hamas and Hezbollah have dragged the Palestinians and Lebanese into wars that have claimed the lives of thousands of people -- all to serve their patrons in Iran. Instead of admitting their defeat, both in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the terrorists, at the behest of Iran's mullahs, are continuing to sell imaginary victories to the Arabs to encourage them to join the Jihad (holy war) against Israel.
After the recent ceasefire deal with Israel, supporters of the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah claimed "victory." Some celebrated the alleged victory by firing guns into the air and flashing V signs. Many Arabs, however, saying that Hezbollah had lost hundreds of its members, including top leaders, and caused significant damage to Lebanese homes and the country's economy, have been mocking the terrorist group.
Hezbollah's hasty declaration of "victory" is similar to that of Hamas, Iran's Palestinian terrorist proxy in the Gaza Strip. After earlier rounds of fighting with Israel that severely damaged the Gaza Strip's civilian and military infrastructure, Hamas commanders would typically emerge from the debris and proclaim "victory."
Like Hezbollah, many Palestinians and Arabs mocked Hamas for its fake wins. Even now, Hamas continues to pretend that it is winning the war, which began when the terrorist group invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering 1,200 Israelis, many of whom were tortured, burned alive or beheaded. Countless others were raped, and 240 were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, where 101 – many of whom are dead -- are still held captive.
Commenting on Hamas's claim of "victory," Egyptian political analyst Abdul Latif Al-Manawi wrote:
"I was not surprised when [Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal] announced Hamas's victory in the Gaza war. He said: 'Our losses are tactical, our enemy's losses are strategic, and victory is coming.' Is this how Mashaal sums up a whole year of devastation inflicted on the Palestinian people? If Mashaal means what he says, we have to ask him: Do the tactical losses he refers to include the war victims who have reached more than 42,000 Palestinians? Do they include more than 80,000 [Palestinians] who were injured? Do they include more than 90% of the Gaza Strip's population who have been displaced from their homes and neighborhoods that were razed to the ground? Victory, Khaled Mashaal, is not like this. Victory is realizing the extent of your power, and using it at the right time and in the right way. Victory is not bringing back the era of illusory speeches and false victories."
Hezbollah declared war on Israel the day after the October 7 atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists, and thousands of "ordinary" Palestinians, against Israelis living near the border with the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah leaders said then that they would stop their rocket and drone attacks against Israel only if it ended the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They also said that they would not withdraw their terrorists north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.
The ceasefire agreement, reached on November 27, stipulates that Hezbollah, or any other armed group in Lebanon, will not carry out any offensive action against Israel, regardless of the situation in the Gaza Strip. The agreement also requires Hezbollah terrorists to withdraw to the north of the Litani River. Hezbollah, in other words, has agreed to disconnect itself from the war in the Gaza Strip and to withdraw its men from the border with Israel.
This reversal is precisely why many Arabs cannot understand Hezbollah's claim of "victory," especially in light of the elimination of most of the group's top political and military leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, killed by an Israeli airstrike on his bunker in Beirut last September.
Prominent Lebanese journalist Nabil Bou Monsef scoffed at Hezbollah's false victory and pointed out that the war the group brought on Lebanon has caused terrifying scenes of destruction. He accused Hezbollah of engaging in self-delusion, linking Lebanon to regional arenas (the Gaza Strip) and "throwing Lebanon into a catastrophic massacre."
"Where is the victory?" Bou Monsef asked.
"How much did it cost? What defeat is more terrible than such losses? How can one claim victory in the face of a massacre that has destroyed all the logic of resistance? It's not too late to ask Hezbollah to explain its unilateral and deadly decision to open the confrontation [with Israel] under Iran's cover."
Further reactions of Arabs to Hezbollah's purported victory include:
Tunisian philosopher Khaled Mansour:
"Hezbollah's claim of victory over Israel is a farce and a mockery of the minds of the Lebanese and a 'political shamelessness' that is both laughable and disgusting!"
Lebanese student Lina al-Bayati:
"Hezbollah: We achieved victory over the enemy. The party was uprooted from its roots, not a single one of them remains. Where is the victory? No one knows."
Lebanese lawyer Omar El-Yafi:
"This is the text of Hezbollah's surrender that the Lebanese state agreed to, which stipulated that there would be no weapons on Lebanese territory except in the hands of the Lebanese army, in addition to other conditions, including the withdrawal of Hezbollah elements to the north of the Litani River. Where is the divine victory that these victors celebrate?"
Egyptian political analyst Subhi Ibrahim:
"The worst defeat for Hezbollah militias in the black history of destruction and thousands of deaths, and yet, with all impudence, some of its supporters raise banners and the victory sign!!! Where are you, you shameless folks???"
Lebanese social media activist Fouad Tarabay:
"Despite the killing of [Hassan] Nasrallah and most of the leaders of Hezbollah, 3,500 dead, 20 billion in material losses, 1.5 million displaced, and 46,000 housing units destroyed, they (Hezbollah) still say 'we won.' They fire their guns in celebration and raise the victory sign after the humiliating ceasefire agreement. What a complete farce and deception."
Saudi writer Imad al-Rimal:
"Hezbollah celebrates victory just as Saddam Hussein celebrated his victory in Kuwait [in 1990]. Hezbollah will hold a victory demonstration in Lebanon, with the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah. It doesn't matter how many were killed, what was destroyed, or the crushing defeat. What matters is that the minds of the flocks of sheep that follow Hezbollah remain in a state of denial of the reality."
Social media user Abu Al-Ahrar:
"What kind of victory are you talking about? This is considered a defeat. Hezbollah rose up to support Gaza and said it will not stop until the siege on Gaza is lifted. How is this victory when Israel has eliminated all the leadership of Hezbollah? This is not called victory, but defeat."
Iraqi political activist Tamara Alkhazarji:
"After the surrender: Hezbollah supporters roam the streets, raising pictures of Hassan Nasrallah, as a way of expressing the joy of victory, as they believe. This is the case of totalitarian parties in the Middle East, where they try to promote every defeat as a crushing and historic victory for them."
Yemeni politician Ali Albukhaiti:
"Hezbollah has surrendered, yet there are those who call it a victory!
"Rather, [the ceasefire] was done on Israel's terms, not Hezbollah's terms:
- Hezbollah's withdrawal to the north of the Litani River.
- Disengagement from Gaza.
- The presence of international supervision south of the Litani River.
- Lebanese army control of the border."Were these Hezbollah's conditions or Israel's conditions? What happened was almost a surrender by Hezbollah, while saving face."
Clearly, many Arabs are no longer fooled by the lies and propaganda of Iran's terror proxies in the Middle East. Over the past 14 months, Hamas and Hezbollah have dragged the Palestinians and Lebanese into wars that have claimed the lives of thousands of people -- all to serve their patrons in Iran. Instead of admitting their defeat, both in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the terrorists, at the behest of Iran's mullahs, are continuing to sell imaginary victories to the Arabs to encourage them to join the Jihad (holy war) against Israel. The good news is that many Arabs are evidently aware of the lies and deceptions of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
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