Hazem Saghieh

Hazem Saghieh

On Violence, What Precedes It, and What Follows

The events that transpired on the Syrian coast were triggered by a terrorist operation at the hands of "remnants" of the deposed regime. However, it quickly morphed into something else, something much bigger that raises a series of pressing questions about our lives and our politics: How can we…

Why Doesn't Hezbollah Acknowledge Its Defeat?

Many have recently recalled how, in 1988, Khomeini, accepted UN Security Council Resolution 598, a decision he linked to "drinking poison,” ending Iran’s war with Iraq. At the time, despite the ideological excess that has always defined it, Iran behaved like a state that had run out of energy and…

Admitting Defeat to Avoid Greater Defeats

One self-evident condition for solving a problem is recognizing that it exists, and the problem in Lebanon is its defeat. However, Hezbollah does not acknowledge this defeat. As for the occupation and destruction, this defeat's extremely visible and undeniable consequences, they are attributed to…

The Question That Many Shy Away From!

Many people avoid posing a pressing- or rather burning- question, and their avoidance sometimes even leads them, whenever this question looms, to hurriedly deflect or swallow it. As for the question, it is this: How did the “Al-Aqsa Flood” disaster trigger that other disaster which the Israelis…

... Let’s Speak Endlessly About Hezbollah  

Two major phenomena/catastrophes have weighed on the Levant for decades: one is military coups and security states that grew out of them- Syria and Iraq were its two theatres- and the next is militia groups whose main presence was in Lebanon. These two phenomena, although their last representatives…

The World, Iran, and Us in Between

A few days ago, on the 20th anniversary of Lebanese former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri’s assassination, many of those who remember what happened reiterated that they had remained confident he would not be killed until it happened. They believed that Hariri’s extensive Arab and international ties…

Lebanon’s Two Programs: Finalizing or Containing Defeat

If we were to avoid skepticism of the so-called Resistance Axis’ intentions- despite the many valid reasons to be skeptical and assume that their actions genuinely reflect a perspective- we could claim that they are pushing the Lebanese to finalize their defeat in the name of the victory they claim…

Once More: From Political Politics to Societal Politics

A striking phenomenon has been observed over the past few weeks: the extreme elation of most Syrian and Lebanese citizens has been conjoined with extreme caution. Without the elation disappearing, caution has entered the frame - coupled with suspicions in some cases, criticism in others, and…

Among the Most Wretched Forms of Lebanese Consciousness...

"Since we were defeated in a war, which we had caused, that led to humanitarian and material disasters, as well as the occupation of our land and the displacement of its residents, And since we are not trusted by the Arab and Western powers who have the capacity to provide economic support to…

On the Heartbreaking Crowds and the Voice of Resounding Victory 

There have been many mass marches in history, and they have been turned into material for myths and mystification and constitute a trove of wealth for the imagination. Mass gatherings of people stir the same emotions and images as the difficult paths paved with pain that they traverse. The point of…