Hazem Saghieh

Binary thinking has defined much of contemporary Arab political thought. Of course, every notion has a binary opposite: colonialism is the opposite of independence and liberation, occupation is the opposite of resistance, reaction is the opposite of progressivism, fragmentation is the opposite of…

Going over the history of the relationship between Lebanon’s state and society and Hezbollah, which is now over four decades long, one cannot fail to notice the upward trajectory of the costs that the militia has imposed on this state and society, and that this rising trajectory has been almost…

In the most recently broadcast speech of new Hezbollah Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, and in Resistance Axis supporters’ comments on the ongoing catastrophe, there is a loneliness that induces pity but also induces fear. This loneliness is not just a matter of isolation, as their rhetoric…

"Civil war in Lebanon"... Is now on the lips of Lebanon’s politicians and journalists, and Arab and foreign diplomats are warning against it. This major and grave threat should not be taken lightly, though exaggeration that leads to panic should also be avoided. On the one hand, there are a few…

After Sheikh Naim Qassem was appointed Hezbollah Secretary-General, some showed an interest in the man's ideas and values in the media and on social media. He has a reputation, because of the things he has written and said, for his exuberant conservatism that places him on the further end of the…

Amid a pressing need for new arguments following the collapse of the theory that Hezbollah provides Lebanon with "protection" and "strength," a talking point is being echoed by those who defend this same party: The Lebanese did not build a state, and they did not do so because of sectarianism and…

More than ever, the Lebanese need to come to an understanding among themselves that complements political initiatives and reinforces diplomatic efforts. That is not a moralistic cliche, as this sense of urgency is driven by the brutality of Israel’s project and its hardening terms, which threaten…

In the torrent of talk about "protecting Lebanon," many of us have reiterated that rebuilding our state and its army is what protects us. This claim hits the nail on the head, drawing the lessons that many bitter experiences have taught us. Indeed, it has become abundantly clear that the danger of…

Contrary to the claims of those who are fond of generalizing, it is not true that "Arabs do not acknowledge defeat when they are defeated." In 1948, and especially in 1967, there was a broad spectrum of opinions on everything linked to the defeat: there was disagreement about its scale and nature,…

It might be apt to characterize the contention between two popular schools of thought as one that stems from a divergence in how each identifies causes and interprets causality. One school understands causality through particular events and occurrences, without disregarding psychological,…