By Nohad Topalian | 2024-02-08

BEIRUT -- Fearful that Hizbullah's actions will result in a full-scale war with Israel, many Lebanese are taking to social media to protest against the Iran-backed party, individually and as part of organized campaigns, activists said.

One such campaign, "Shias Against War," launched on Facebook on December 31, aims to demonstrate that a large number of Lebanese Shia object to what they describe as Hizbullah's reckless adventures.

There are many factors driving the popular protests against Hizbullah's actions, foremost that Lebanon is not prepared for the repercussions of a potential war.

Another factor is the unequal military power of Israel and Hizbullah, which would result in devastating consequences for the Lebanese in case of a war, and would likely include a worsening of the country's crippling economic crisis.

Janoub Sweid, who was displaced from the border town of al-Dhayra less than a week after Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, is among the boldest Hizbullah critics.

"I am dissatisfied with Hizbullah and object to everything it does, because we are the ones paying the price for its reckless actions," she told Pishtaz affiliate outlet Al-Fassel.

"How long will Hizbullah continue to hold us hostage in a war we have nothing to do with?"

"Hizbullah has opened the border with Israel and is intervening in this war, displacing us from our homes, and forcing us to live in school classrooms in need of aid," she said.

"I'm not the only resentful Lebanese citizen; even Hizbullah's supporters and fighters are unhappy and say Hizbullah deluded them into thinking the war would take a week, but it has entered its fourth month, with no end in sight."

Concern within Shia community

"There is great concern among the Shia community about the possibility of a war, and they are looking forward to a ceasefire due to the massive impact war has on all aspects of people's lives," said writer and political activist Ali al-Amin.

"The community is paying the price for the ongoing conflict every day," he told Al-Fassel. "The discontent has reached a high level, but people are scared to express their anger."

Hizbullah does not tolerate any dissent, he said.

The violence has displaced more than 86,000 Lebanese, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Displaced Lebanese southerners are distressed by the prolonged escalation led by Hizbullah, said a well-informed source, who asked to remain anonymous out of concern for his safety.

The Shia community of Lebanon is powerless and cannot express its resentment, whispering its objections behind closed doors rather than expressing it aloud, out of fear of Hizbullah's retaliation, he said.

Activist and opposition figure Daoud Faraj told Al-Fassel that unlike the Amal Movement's supporters, who openly and loudly criticize Hizbullah's escalation on the border, Hizbullah supporters do not express their restlessness.

"There is an overwhelming sense of anger expressed loudly by Christians and in secret by Sunnis, but the Shia are afraid to do the same," said political writer Bechara Khairallah, founder of Lebanese think tank Dar al-Hiwar.

Hizbullah's failure to make an official declaration of war is a strong sign that it is aware of the public's discontent, he said.

"The reason for this resentment is that the balance of power is not in favor of Lebanon and Hizbullah, because the economic distress makes the Lebanese feel unsafe," he told Al-Fassel.

"This makes the Lebanese public wonder: why would [Hizbullah] even start a war?"