Following its self-proclaimed victory by resistance against Israel , Hezbollah has moved quickly to re-establish its dominant authority over southern Lebanon at the expense of the Lebanese government. The organization has refused to disarm and has moved systematically to compensate Lebanese citizens left homeless by Israeli bombs while initiating a massive reconstruction program with Iranian funds.
Disarmament of Hezbollah, the top concern for Israel and the international community, is not the most pressing issue for the Lebanese government. For the sake of its future national authority, the Lebanese government must focus on demonstrating its ability and willingness to provide for the people of southern Lebanon. To this end, it will need to match and exceed Hezbollah’s reconstruction efforts. The extension of official sovereignty?including a monopoly on armed forces–throughout the state cannot move forward until the Lebanese government wins the public’s trust and confidence.
Hezbollah’s Early Lead
Hezbollah has transitioned seamlessly from fighting Israel to reconstructing southern Lebanon. Hezbollah television and radio stations, Al-Manar and Al-Nour, broadcast instructions on how and where citizens can apply for compensation; within several days of the ceasefire, Hezbollah was already doling out up to $12,000 for each claimant, an amount that covers furniture and year’s rent for a small family in a temporary apartment in Beirut. Hezbollah members operating with the Holy Struggle Construction Foundation, Jihad al-Bina’, have been assessing damages in the southern suburbs of Beirut and will begin reconstructing apartment buildings to replace approximately 15,000 destroyed abodes.
Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was correct in stating the “greatest battle is that of reconstruction” (source), but the actions of his government have, thus far, failed to meet the challenge. The Lebanese Army has crossed the Litani River and entered several towns in southern Lebanon, where they have established checkpoints and begun detonating unexploded ordnance. The government has also reopened Beirut International Airport to some commercial flights, which has facilitated an influx of critical supplies. Yet overall, the government’s reconstruction effort in the south has paled in comparison to Hezbollah’s.
In addition to fielding a capable peace-keeping force, the international community must provide extensive aid to the Lebanese government. Iran is financing Hezbollah’s reconstruction campaign, and Syria has pledged to both support Hezbollah and undermine the governing coalition of Lebanese secular parties. The Lebanese government will need external funds and supplies in order to match and exceed Hezbollah’s effort.
Challenges for the Government
The Shiites of southern Lebanon expect Hezbollah to repair their homes and re-establish security and social services. They trust the honesty and integrity of the Hezbollah organization, its leader Hassan Nasrallah , and the social infrastructure it provides to their community. Any minimal, residual anger that may have existed among Lebanese Shiites over Hezbollah’s initiation of the conflict will be overwhelmed by the organization’s reconstruction effort. Alternatively, southern Lebanese expect very little from the government. After all, the government has not had an official presence in the region since the mid-1970s. Consequently, the government must embrace the challenge of reconstruction as a means of proving its worth and subsequent legitimacy in the south. This task is a necessary pre-condition to establishing full governmental sovereignty throughout the state, to include a monopoly on armed forces.
