Lebanon sets up 'tour' to dispute Israeli missile claims
October 1, 2018
Lebanese authorities took scores of ambassadors to alleged Hezbollah weapons sites after Benjamin Netanyahu accused the militia of modifying missiles in Beirut. Lebanon's top diplomat slammed the claims as "pure lies."
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In a bid to refute claims about secret Hezbollahweapons sites, Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil took over 70 foreign envoys on a tour of the alleged Beirut locations on Monday.
The move came as a response to a UN speech by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he accused the Shiite militia of converting "inaccurate projectiles" into precision-guided missiles in Beirut. He also held up aerial photos which he claimed show the exact locations of the weapons storage compounds.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Bassil accused Israel of trying to "justify another aggression" against Lebanon by spouting "pure lies."
"Lebanon will not accept the UN to be used as a platform to assault Lebanon," Bassil told ambassadors ahead of the tour of the locations.
Both political party and militant group, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah is as strong as ever. Its ascendancy has stoked tensions within Lebanon and across the region.
Image: Getty Images/C. Furlong
Rise of Hezbollah
Hezbollah, or Party of God, was conceived by Muslim clerics in the 1980s in response to the Israeli invasion of South Lebanon in 1982. The Shiite group has a political and military wing.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
National support against Israel
Hezbollah emerged in the 1980s as an amalgamation of Shiite militias and played a major role in the Lebanese civil war. It used guerrilla warfare to drive Israeli forces out of South Lebanon — Israel withdrew in 2000. Israel and Hezbollah fought another war in 2006. Its defense of Lebanon against Israel had won it cross-sectarian support and acceptance in Lebanese society.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Zaatari
Backed by Iran
Since its creation, Hezbollah has received military, financial and political support from Iran and Syria. Today, Hezbollah's military wing is more powerful than Lebanon's own army and has become a major regional paramilitary force.
Image: Reuters/O. Sanadiki
Political apparatus
Hezbollah turned its focus to politics following the end of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. It represents a large section of the Lebanese Shiite population and is allied with other sectarian groups, including Christians. Their political development has mostly come under Hassan Nasrallah (pictured), who became the group's leader in 1992.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Armed wing
Unlike other parties in Lebanon's multi-sided 1975-1990 civil war, Hezbollah did not disband its armed wing. Some Lebanese political groups, such as Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement, want Hezbollah to put down its arms. Hezbollah argues its militant wing is necessary to defend against Israel and other external threats.
Image: picture-alliance/AA
Terror group?
A number of countries and bodies, including the United States, Israel, Canada and the Arab League, consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. However, Australia and most of the European Union differentiate between its legitimate political activities and its militant wing.
Image: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/I. Press
Hezbollah enters Syria's civil war
Hezbollah has been one of the main backers of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the country's civil war. Its entrance into the war helped save Assad, one of its chief patrons; secured weapons supply routes from Syria and formed a buffer zone around Lebanon against Sunni militant groups it feared would take over Syria. As a result it has won considerable support from Shiite communities in Lebanon.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Syrian Central Military Media
Sectarianism
Lebanon has long been at the center of regional power struggles, particularly between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, Hezbollah's military and political ascendancy, as well as its intervention in Syria, have also helped stoke Sunni-Shiite sectarian tensions in Lebanon and across the region.
Image: dapd
Renewed conflict with Israel?
Iran and Hezbollah have increased their political and military strength through the war in Syria. Israel views this as a threat and has carried out dozens of airstrikes on Iran/Hezbollah targets in Syria. Israel has vowed to not let Iran and Hezbollah create a permanent presence in Syria. There is growing concern of another war between Hezbollah and Israel that could draw in Iran.
Image: Getty Images/C. Furlong
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Golf course, stadium, warehouse
The tour first took the diplomats to a golf course near Beirut airport, and then to the stadium of the Ahed football team, both of which were identified by Netanyahu as Hezbollah plants. Specifically, Netanyahu said there was a missile site beneath the stadium, prompting Lebanese officials to take the envoys to the underground gym and locker rooms.
Ambassadors ended the journey by visiting an abandoned warehouse in the Ouzai neighborhood. However, it was not clear if the location corresponded to the third site marked by Netanyahu.
In his UN speech, the Israeli leader also accused Iran of having a "secret atomic warehouse" and said Tehran had directed their Hezbollah allies in building the sites in Beirut. The accusations prompted ridicule from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who said that no "arts & crafts" show would cover up the fact that it is fact Israel which has an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
Dealing with Nasrallah's boasts
Hezbollah operates from multi-religious Lebanon, but the Shiite militia wields military power far beyond Lebanon's official army. The group is one of Iran's staunchest allies. Israel and the Shiite-armed faction fought several wars, the latest in 2006.
Last month, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah boasted that the militia had obtained "highly accurate" missiles, despite Israeli efforts to keep them out of reach.
Speaking to ambassadors on Monday, Bassil said that Nasrallah's statement "doesn't mean that those missiles are present in the vicinity of Beirut airport."
The tour included representatives of Iran and Russia. In turn, envoys of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were present for Bassil's remarks but opted not to visit the sites. The US ambassador was absent from the Monday event, allegedly because he was out of the country.