VIDEO: The Strongest Militia in the Middle East
Added 2024-10-17 12:01:01 +0000 UTCUnderstanding the Lebanese Civil War and the rise of Hezbollah is so important to understanding the modern middle east and the current conflict in Gaza. We tried really hard to simplify the conflict while unpacking the grievances and motivations of Hezbollah, trying to understand what they really want and why.
Comments
Thank you so much for sharing Maya. It means a lot.
Johnny Harris
2024-10-25 13:00:42 +0000 UTCHey Johnny, I saw you had a lot of negative comments under this video on YouTube and wanted to share a different perspective as a Lebanese from southern Lebanon (and a journalist). I really appreciate your coverage and understand how difficult it must've been to condense all of our history into one video. You did a great job showing the history of how Hezbollah came as a response to Israel's invasion during the civil war and how it grew into a powerful political party. You nailed it when you showed how Hezbollah provides much-needed resources and infrastructure for the south where the government fails us. And YES they have gained more power by the need to defend the south, Lebanon doesn't have a functioning army (or government for that matter). My father lived through the civil war and lived under Israeli occupation in the south. It was brutal. I think that's one of many reasons why southern Lebanon (and Hezbollah) connects to the Palestinian experience and has supported them this past year.
Maya Fawaz
2024-10-24 23:32:17 +0000 UTCDave, your tax dollars are paying for this humanitarian atrocity. It's a moment that will go down in history, how the west lost the respect of the world and everybody realized the US are just warmongers making billions off this genocide without a conscience. Wish I had better news but this is the reality so while I know we can't watch this all 24/7, the palestinians that are being massacred can't turn it off and it's important to bear witness as much as possible otherwise history will repeat itself as it is proving to now. We are supposed to be watching and feeling angry and then trying to do something about it... :)
Rachel Uwa
2024-10-21 19:45:30 +0000 UTCJohnny this one was not good. I could immediately tell when you finished it that there was so much missing and it was disappointing. Why would you put this out so incomplete and with the "see, as you can see Hezbollah is just a proxy for Iran." That is so unlike you. There are many constructive comments on that thread below the video. It would be amazing if you could answer to some of that or if you would put out a part II and make this video more complete. Why put something out that is just false, it makes it seem like you are following propaganda like all the rest which is the opposite of why people follow you so fervently and why I support your channel the last years. I do hope you will say something and not ignore this or I hope that the people you work with are paying attention and will comment to you. This was the first disappointment but still a disappointment. :(
Rachel Uwa
2024-10-21 19:39:16 +0000 UTCThat was a great piece, AS ALWAYS. ...but can I just say... me personally, I have been feeling exhausted by the Middle East conflicts the last couple of years. I personally lean toward agnosticism or atheism. (If I'm feeling especially philosophical, and indulging in a bit of belief, I might dance a little with a woo-woo mash-up of ‘The Force’ and the First Law of Thermodynamics ...we're all part of some cosmic energy, and eventually all return to it) ...but I also understand that religion holds deep significance for many, and is central to their identities, and communities. And while I recognize the importance of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, I’ll admit that these days, I often find myself skipping over those segments in the news. (And if I'm entirely honest, I even skipped over a bit of this wonderful report! Sorry!) It can feel so very emotionally draining to hear about the latest tragedy or violence, or in this case, learn more about the over 75 years of growing conflict in the middle east... especially when the conflicts seem NEVER-ENDING! What I find most striking is that, when you really look at it, the people involved often have so much in common! (If you can somehow extricate the religious aspect, and somehow erase the 75+ years of back-n-forth of death and revenge) it feels like these peoples could be an extended family of sorts. A big, complicated family yes, but getting together from different borders, and sitting down at a big meal and enjoying each other's company just the same. I like to imagine a sort of Anthony Bourdain diplomacy — bringing people together through shared meals & stories sort-of-thing. Fostering greater empathy, sympathy, and understanding. But that is a selfish day-dream, I know. (And more than a little condescending I suppose... but it's a day-dream. Can't we all allow a little of that in hard times?) And again, I recognize the history behind these conflicts is incredibly complex, with generations of trauma and deep-seated tensions. But I can’t help feeling that, instead of continuing to fund military aid in the region, the U.S. could make a bigger difference by investing instead, in diplomacy and dialogue. Imagine if we redirected our military funding toward fostering conversations, instead of explosions? If we stopped shipping our bombs and bullets into the region, and instead invested in more state department efforts. It’s a vision that feels idealistic and simplistic, sure, but it's what I'd rather imagine America doing in the region.
@DaveRizz
2024-10-20 16:43:14 +0000 UTC
