Lebanon Says Hizbollah Disarmed, Financial Times Hides the Punchline
The Financial Times announces that Lebanon 'has completed the first phase of Hizbollah disarmament,' a statement that reads more like a wish than a reality for anyone familiar with the region. This conveniently sidesteps the historical context: Hizbollah's very existence is intertwined with Israeli occupations and invasions of Lebanon, most notably the 1982 invasion and the 18-year occupation that
followed. To frame 'disarmament' without acknowledging the ongoing threats and the group's role as a resistance movement against Israeli aggression (and other actors before them) is to redact the past. One might wonder if this 'first phase' involves politely asking Hizbollah to 'please put down your weapons' while the region remains a geopolitical tinderbox. Perhaps next, the FT will report that
pigs have learned to fly. The absurdity is palpable; the US and its allies have repeatedly demanded Hizbollah disarm while simultaneously enabling the regional dynamics that fuel its necessity for many Lebanese. It’s almost as if the 'war on terror' playbook has only two pages: 'condemn' and 'bomb' – never 'contextualize' or 'de-escalate'.