Description:
The rise of Hizbollah and its status in Lebanon should be understood in light of two central phenomena. The first is the rise of Shiite power in Lebanon. The second phenomenon in understanding Hizbollah's power and standing is the Islamic regime in Iran and its strategic aspirations in the region. Nasrallah once claimed to be the one who could read Israel better than anyone else in the Arab world, whereas today it seems he realizes that is not the case. The immunity we attributed to Nasrallah has been lifted; he is no longer the invincible leader. The Second Lebanon War made an important contribution to this process.