Commentary
The six GCC members’ unity would be a valued—if not essential—asset for negotiating an end to the simmering regional conflict.
Sam Worby, Andrew Leber
The Hizbullah Phenomenon: Politics and Communication
Hizbullah uses its image, language, and its charismatic leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to legitimize its political aims and ideology and appeal to different target groups.
Published on Aug 15, 2014
Source: Oxford University Press
Hizbullah is not only a leading political actor in Lebanon and a dynamic force in the Middle East, but it is also distinguished by a sophisticated communication strategy. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Hizbullah’s political clout and its public perception have followed an upward trajectory, thanks to a political program that blends military, social, economic, and religious elements and adapts to changes in its environment. Its communication strategy is similarly adaptive, supporting the group’s political objectives. Hizbullah’s target audience has expanded to a regional and global viewership.Its projected identity, too, shifted from an Islamist resistance party opposed to Israel’s presence in Lebanon to a key player within the Lebanese state. At the same time, Hizbullah’s image has retained fixed features, including its image as an ally of Iran; its role as a resistance group (to Israel); and its original base as a religious party representative of the Lebanese Shiites. The authors of this book address how Hizbullah uses image, language, and its charismatic leader, Hassan Nasrallah, to legitimize its political aims and ideology and appeal to different target groups.
About the Authors
Lina Khatib
Former Director, Middle East Center
Khatib was director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Previously, she was the co-founding head of the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.
Dina Matar
Atef Alshaer
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- The Gulf States Are Looking for an Exit in Iran
- How Did Serbia Remove Vučić Without a Single Smashed Window?Commentary
Serbia’s electoral earthquake is an extremely rare example of an entire political system being defeated by street protesters who played by the rules.
Alexander Baunov
- The Foundations of a Russian Dictatorship: The Kremlin’s New IdeologyPaper
The concept authored by Sergei Kiriyenko and his team can be considered not only an apologia for the Putin regime, but also a blueprint for Russia’s future configuration.
Andrey Pertsev
- Israel’s Election Had No Clear Winner. What Comes Next for the Region?Commentary
Carnegie’s Middle East Program scholars reflect on the impasse and its potential impacts on the Middle East.
- +9
Nathan J. Brown, Alper Coşkun, Amr Hamzawy, …
- Young and Restless in the Middle EastCommentary
In an interview, Mayssoun Sukarieh discusses youths in the region, and how they are being defined and reshaped.
Yasmine Zarhloule
