Israel-Hezbollah Conflict: a Lebanese Perspective
Habib Malik
Associate Professor of History (Retired), Lebanese American University
Senior Fellow and Consultant for the Charles Malik Institute (CMI), Philos Project
23 August 2024

Habib Malik discusses the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which he sees as an existential war for Israel, driven by what he calls a "ring of fire" established by Iran through its support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Habib highlights Iran's expansionist ambitions in the region, particularly its strategic use of the Palestinian cause to extend its influence. In Lebanon, the situation is dire, with Hezbollah, Iran's primary proxy, effectively controlling parts of the country and undermining the Lebanese government. This control has led to economic collapse, political paralysis, and social unrest. Hezbollah prioritizes Iran's interests over Lebanon's and has created a state within a state, complete with its own economy and foreign policy. The Lebanese people, Habib asserts, are largely opposed to Hezbollah's actions and the broader conflict, which they feel has been imposed on them by external forces. He also touches on the rising tensions between different religious groups in Lebanon, with Hezbollah's rhetoric contributing to a climate of fear and division. The situation remains volatile, with potential for further escalation, although Habib notes that recent actions by the United States and Israel have temporarily deterred Iran and Hezbollah from further aggression. However, the situation is still precarious, with the possibility of accidental escalation keeping the region on edge.

#Lebanon #Israelwar #hezbollah

Habib Malik was born in 1954 in Washington, D.C., and received his education both in the United States and Lebanon. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from the American University of Beirut. After spending one year at Princeton University, he joined Harvard University for his graduate studies, where he earned his Ph.D. in Modern European Intellectual History in 1985. Habib taught Intellectual/Cultural and Socio/Political History at the American University of Beirut's Off-Campus Program (OCP) and at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in 1995 and 1996, and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in 2003. His father, Charles Malik, was the first ambassador of Lebanon to the United States, the Lebanese representative to the United Nations, and a leading figure in the drafting and adoption of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Habib is also a human rights activist.