Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization that has an influence in the Middle East that rivals that of any state. Once a Shiite Muslim organization created to defend Lebanon against the invasion of neighboring Israel, it now holds a seat in Lebanon's parliament and influences domestic politics. It now has significant political and military power in some parts of Lebanon. Hezbollah's influence is not limited to the domestic sphere, as it also receives foreign military support and intervenes in conflicts outside the country. In addition, Hezbollah hasIranHezbollah has received generous support from the governments and organizations of the United States, and has intervened in conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in the form of military assistance and direct participation in support of the same Shiite Islamist group. In the sense that it is an organization within a state, but has established relations with foreign countries and intervened in foreign conflicts, Hezbollah is said to be a "state within a state. This article explores the reality of such Hezbollah.

Hezbollah's parade during Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon (khamenei.ir / Wikimedia commons [CC BY 4.0])

The Birth of Hezbollah

Hezbollah is Arabic for "God's Party (Germany, Austria, etc.)means "the birth of a new life". Its birth is,1970It dates back to the period of turmoil in Lebanon from the 1950s.Lebanonis a nation of many different ethnic groups and religions. Many religions, including Islam and Christianity, are mixed, with Islam divided into Sunni and Shia sects, and Christianity into Maronites, Catholics, Protestants, etc.subdivisionThe two are being Each of these multiple religious forces is involved in domestic politics,1Equal political power so that no one religious power has a monopoly.distributionThe government was Specifically, the balance of power was maintained by assigning a Christian Maronite as president, a Muslim Sunni as prime minister, and a Shiite as speaker of parliament. This is,1943signed when Lebanon gained independence from France in 1949.national agreementIt is derived from the

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This balance of power among religions would gradually collapse.1948The establishment of the State of Israel in 1949 resulted in a large number of Palestinian refugees. Palestinian refugees also flowed into Lebanon, and the Palestinian population in the countryincreaseThe first time, the company was in a position to do so.1970Since the s.1980Through the 1980s, conflicts in neighboring countries again brought large numbers of Palestinian refugees into Lebanon. The influx of Palestinian refugees led to an increase in the country's Muslim population.increaseThe balance of religious forces in the country was upset by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 1923. With it came increased political friction, compounded by other factors,1975This leads to the outbreak of the Lebanese conflict in 1949.1971In 2006, the Palestine Liberation Organization, an organization that opposes the Israeli occupation of Palestine (PLO(the "Borderlands"), but its base of operations was shifted from Jordan to Lebanon.transferThe company was forced to The cause of the relocation was,PLOand Jordan, and the Lebanese government has also been trying to improve domesticPLOThe company tolerated the presence of In such a situation,PLOattacked Israel, which led to Israel'sPLOon the grounds of overthrowing the1978in this Lebanese conflict since 1949.interventionto begin. Although Israel initially withdrew partially,1982In 1949, it invaded Lebanon again and occupied areas in southern Lebanon. Shiite Muslim forces rallied to retake the areas occupied at that time,1982The company was formed in 2006.HezbollahThe first is.

Hezbollah was an organization that rallied around a Shiite identity, but it was only the first of many religious communities in Lebanon.1It is only one of the two. Therefore, there was a large gap in military power between Israel, which had received strong military support from the United States, and Hezbollah. Despite such a gap in military power, Hezbollah has been competing with Israel over areas in southern Lebanon because of the support of Iran, which had just formed a new government following the 1979 revolution, and the Syrian regime (*1), which shares the same Shiite identity. Hezbollah has received not only ample financial support from Iran, but also military training for Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (*2) and other militarysupportThe country has also been a strong partner of the Syrian government since the 1980s. In addition, since the 1980's, the Syrian government has alsoalliance (esp. originally of the Six Kingdoms against the Qin dynasty)and Hezbollah, with the support of both of them, repeatedly engaged in military conflict with Israel to retake southern Lebanon. As a result, in 2000, Israel was finally forced out of Lebanon bywithdrawalI made him do it.

Cityscape devastated by the conflict in Lebanon (Luc Chessex / Wikimedia [CC BY-SA 4.0])

Influence within Lebanon

Let's take a look at how Hezbollah, which was born with the above background, has developed since then. Hezbollah is1982It was founded by Abbas Al-Musawi in 1949. Subsequently, a systematic organization was formed around the Supreme Leader.1986In 2006, working under the direction of a mentoradvisory councilwas established, and various specialized organizations such as the Political Council and the Executive Council were created as subordinate bodies.1992From the year 2000,Hasan Nasrullahubecame the supreme leader and continues to lead Hezbollah to this day.

While establishing the system as an organization, Hezbollah1992Since 2006, it has expanded its activities into the political arena as a political party. Hezbollah has been a member of the1992For the first time in the elections of 2006.parliamentary seatThe party's entry into national politics was marked by its acquisition of the The opportunity to expand its power as a political party came about as a result of the2006It was the Lebanese conflict that occurred again in 2006.2000Even after Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2006, the two countries remained tense, with Hezbollah and Israel continuing to engage in a standoff near the border.2006Again in 2006, between Israel and Hezbollah.armed conflictoccurred, and Israel was once again in Lebanon.invasionThe conflict was stalemated by Hezbollah's resistance. The conflict was stalemated by Hezbollah's resistance, and about1In the form of Israel's withdrawal after a month.end of warand became the first to be established in Lebanon. Even now that these conflicts are over, Hezbollah maintains its own military organization in Lebanon. Hezbollah in this conflict,2It is seen by many citizens as having defended Lebanon from Israeli incursions on two occasions, and is considered by many to be a domesticsupportexpanded.

Poster depicting Hezbollah's past and present leaders (Will De Freitas / Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

this (something or someone close to the speaker (including the speaker), or ideas expressed by the speaker)2The second Lebanese conflict was an opportunity for Hezbollah to expand its political power. Hezbollah is the leading political party force in Lebanon.1One is,March8day (of the month)(in Japanese history)*3(see Figure 1). This is a2005counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)3month8It is a coalition of pro-Syrian parties, led by Hezbollah, that was formed on Hezbollah is a member of this3month8As a member of the Japan Alliance, 2009Year.electionto expand the number of seats in the House of Representatives. In addition2011In 2006, the Lebanese30Of the ministerial posts in18including Hezbollah.3month8The members of the Japan Alliance.acquisitionHezbollah's political power was then consolidated.

Hezbollah also provides support in the southern region of Lebanon facing Israel and in the western region facing Syria, not only militarily but also through the provision of public services. For example, it is actively involved in the development of infrastructure, health insurance, and the improvement of the educational environment.We've been working on it.Hezbollah's first major religious group, the Shias, was established in 1967. Perhaps due in part to its success, Hezbollah gained a certain amount of support not only from its original religious base of Shiites, but also from people of other sects and affiliations.2014Year.surveyof Christians in the country, according to the31Percentage, 9 of Sunni Islam%of the respondents had a good image of Hezbollah. Thus, Hezbollah has a unique and broad range of activities, not only in the military but also in the political and administrative spheres.

Foreign Intervention

Hezbollah's activities were not limited to the country: in the 1980s,90The 1950s was particularly marked by terrorism, both at home and abroad.participationIt is said that it has done so, but in addition it has also intervened as a military organization. With the cooperation of Iran, it has intervened in various armed conflicts in the surrounding region beyond the borders of the state. Here, we will focus on the conflicts in which Hezbollah has intervened, namely the conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and see how Hezbollah acted there.

Initially, we will look at Hezbollah's involvement in the Iraqi conflict.Iraq War (2003-)is the American Georgew...former President George W. Bush,2003Hezbollah has been fighting a war against Iraq since 1967, when the country was occupied by the U.S. military for a period of time. As part of its response to this occupation, Hezbollah sent combat trainers and provided funds and weapons to the Shiite forces in Iraq.supportThe company was providing Hezbollah was providing assistance to Iraq in cooperation withIranian Revolutionary Guard CorpsThe support for Iraq was derived from the fact that the Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' support for Iraq, even after the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.continuedThe following is a list of the most common problems with the

Streets devastated by the Syrian conflict (Russian Defense Minister / Wikimedia commons [CC BY 4.0])

We will then look at Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian conflict. The Syrian conflict is,2011The year "Arab Spring (revolutionary wave in the Arab world, 2010-2011)It was a battle between the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the rebels that took place in a series of revolutionary movements in the There, countries such as Russia, the United States, Turkey, Israel, and,IS（The Middle East has been greatly affected by the entry of militant groups such as the Islamic State into the region.has exerted.Hezbollah has a long history of cooperation with the Assad regime in Syria. Hezbollah has been cooperating with the Assad regime in Syria for many years,2013Since 2006, Iran has been involved in the war, not only indirectly, but also by deploying its own troops to support the Assad regime. With state-of-the-art weaponry and sophisticated military operations backed by Iranian logistical support, they have engaged the rebels, and have been able to use Israeli and U.S. military forces to fight the Assad regime.threatIn the Syrian conflict, Hezbollah was a force on the side of the Assad regime. In the Syrian conflict, Hezbollah has also been a force on the side of the Assad regime,2014Since the yearISallbattleHezbollah is believed to have been involved in the Syrian conflict. One of the reasons for Hezbollah's strong support for the Assad regime in the Syrian conflict is the fact that Hezbollah itself has been receiving support from the Assad regime. The shaking of the Assad regime's foundations could have a major impact on Hezbollah itself and jeopardize its survival as an organization.reasonIt can be thought of as a

Finally, we will look at the Yemen conflict.Yemen Conflict (1992-1998)Ha,2014The war between Yemeni government forces and Houthi forces began in 1979. In the Yemen conflict, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, with the support of the United States, joined the government forces in a large-scale battle against the Houthis.participation in a warThe Houthi forces, on the other hand, were not satisfied with the Iranian government's efforts. The Houthi forces, in contrast, had received IraniansupportThe conflict is said to have involved a variety of domestic and international actors. In this conflict in Yemen, Hezbollah, along with Iran, has been working with Houthi forces todrillto do so, for example.interventionIt is said to have done so. However, this information is also not clear. Saudi Arabia, which had been on the side of the government forces, was aware that the leader of the Houthi forces and the head of Hezbollah were secretlyHe said he'd seen her.Hezbollah denied the claim.

In view of the above, many of the conflicts in which Hezbollah has been involved may have been aimed at preventing the expansion of power in countries such as Israel, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, and at maintaining Shiite power in various parts of the Middle East. In this respect, Hezbollah has exerted a major influence on the situation in the Middle East. 

Hezbollah's relations with neighboring countries and organizations

As we have seen, Hezbollah has been involved in many conflicts in and around Lebanon. We will also look at the relationships that Hezbollah has established with neighboring countries or organizations.

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We will begin by looking at Hezbollah's relationship with Syria and Iran. Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria have a cooperative relationship, as evidenced by its participation on the side of the Assad regime in the Syrian conflict. This was due to the fact that both Hezbollah and Syria are hostile to Israel and that their regimes originate from the same Shia sect. Also, the background is that Iran and Hezbollah are also in conflict with Israel as well,1978Hezbollah has been close to Hezbollah since Israel invaded Lebanon in 1967 and Hezbollah was established.relationshipIn In particular, as we have seen, Iran's Revolutionary Guards, in a number of conflicts, have been militarily and manpowersupportand they were a major support for Hezbollah's cross-border activities.

We will then look at Hezbollah's relationship with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been at oddsrelationshipin the region. Hezbollah, which receives strong support from Iran, is inevitably also hostile to Saudi Arabia.2016In 2006, the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional organization of Gulf states, declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization.certificationSaudi Arabia, along with the Arab Coalition, also declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization in the same year.certificationThe Gulf countries in the surrounding area were also involved. The surrounding Gulf countries were also involved in the severeeconomic sanctionspressure on Lebanon by imposing a Saudi Arabia is also,2017Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in 2006.kidnappingand forced him to resign from his post.interferenceHe was also doing the same. Hariri told Lebanese domestic bureaucrats that Hezbollah's presence in Lebanon was an importantproposalIt is believed that he was the person who had been the kidnapper, and that this may have been behind the kidnapping.

Syria's current President Bashar al-Assad (left) and his father, former President Hafeez al-Assad (middle) with Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrullah (right) (Melissa Wall / Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0])

Finally, let's also look at the relationship between Hezbollah and Hamas (*4). Hamas is an organization founded in Palestine in 1987 to oppose Israel and currently governs the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are close opposing forces to Israel.relationshiphave been built. But while they may share the same adversaries, they do not necessarily share the same ideology. While Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria have close ties, Hamas announced in 2012 that it would not support the Assad regime.representationThe relationship between the two companies is also cracking.

Crisis in Lebanon

Lebanon has been in a very critical situation in recent years, both in terms of political corruption and financial crisis. On the political front, Lebanon is one of the most politically corrupt countries in the world.(not) evenIt is counted among the most Corruption at various levels is widespread, with politicians and bureaucrats profiting, public fundsunauthorized useThere is no end to the number of The Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the perception of political corruption in countries around the world (CPIIn the index calledevaluationThen, Lebanon is2021in the year180.. countries all over the world154It ranks second, indicating the seriousness of the situation. This is due to Lebanon's decentralizedpolitical systemIt is said that there are collusion and corruption to strengthen relations because the religious and sectarian groups from which the legislators and bureaucrats come are the support groups.be more likely to occurAlso, the lack of functioning oversight and restraint among power actors such as the judiciary and the government.affectThe company is doing so.

Lebanon's finances are also in crisis. Debts accumulated since the Lebanese conflict have put pressure on public finances,2021In 2006, the government's debt was Lebanon'sGDP(at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion495%.The number of foreign currency shortages and inflation were also severe. Foreign currency shortages and inflation were also severe, and domestic banks wereclosureThe majority of the population waspoorstate. The causes of poverty are in addition to the debts incurred during the Lebanese conflict,2011The suspension of remittances from migrant workers outside the country due to the "Arab Spring" in 2006, and support for Lebanon by the Gulf states.suspensionand ... andeconomic sanctionsThis is due to a combination of factors. Furthermore2020The economy is in crisis, driven by the outbreak of the new coronavirus in 2006 and the explosion in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.

Citizens of the capital city of Lebanon in Lebanon (Freimut Bahlo / Wikimedia commons [CC BY-SA 4.0])

How are the respective political and economic crises in the state affecting Hezbollah? Hezbollah's commitment to address political corruption when it comes to power.representationbut had failed to come up with effective measures to deal with the situation. On the contrary, Hezbollah is considered a party to corruption itself and is subject to public criticism. For example, a criminal organization involved in political corruption has been providing funds to Hezbollah.assistanceand that a former Lebanese health minister who was a senior Hezbollah official was corrupt.participationIt is clear that they were doing so.

Nor are the financial crisis and Hezbollah unrelated. of the factors contributing to the economic crisis.1One, the suspension of aid and economic sanctions from the Gulf states, stems from the fact that Hezbollah is receiving support from Iran. The implementation of measures to combat the new coronavirus is a result of Hezbollah'sresultsWhile people's perceptions may not always match while holding up as After the explosion in Beirut, a large scale by citizens suffering from poverty and unemploymentdemonstrationis occurring. The poverty situation that people are in has not improved, and even from the Muslim Shia citizens, Hezbollah's base of support, the trust of thebe in the process of losingThe following is a list of the most common problems with the

On the external front, tensions with Israel are rising again.2021counter for years (following a number in the hito-futa-mi counting system)8Month,2006From the Lebanese conflict of 1949 to the15For the first time in years, Lebanon is against Israel.bombardmentIsrael also retaliated with an attack against Lebanon. Israel also launched a retaliatory attack against Lebanon, leading to the possibility of another all-out conflict with Israel.concernThere are also

summary

Hezbollah was introduced at the beginning of this article as a "state within a state. Hezbollah, once an anti-Israeli resistance organization in Lebanon, has now become an extremely supranational organization that governs Lebanon, cooperates closely with other countries, and intervenes militarily in other countries with the support of other countries. In order to understand the complex situation in the Middle East, it is necessary to look at Hezbollah as an important actor.

note 1The Assad regime in Syria is the Shiite sect of the1The Alawite regime, which is one of the

note 2 (supplementary information)The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, led by Aayatollah Khomeini, is an Iranian military organization.

3 3month8The March 8 Alliance is a coalition of pro-Syrian political parties in Lebanon; the name March 8 comes from the fact that this coalition was formed on March 8, 2005, and there is also a rival coalition, the March 14 Alliance. The main parties that make up the coalition are Hezbollah andamal, ,Free Patriotic Party (FPM)and others.

note (supplementary information) symbol4Hamas is an Islamist militant organization that effectively controls the Gaza Strip in Palestine.

Writer: Takumi Kuriyama

Graphics: Takumi Kuriyama

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