Has Hezbollah finally “matured?”

Many Western governments heaved a hefty sigh of relief when Lebanon’s pro-Western political bloc unexpectedly took Monday’s elections. What I find to be particularly interesting is the conciliatory reaction of the opposition’s most infamous and militant faction, Hezbollah. To wit:

Hassan Nasrallah (Secretary General):

We accept the official results in a sporting spirit… I would like to congratulate all those who won, those in the majority and those in the opposition.

Hassan Fadlallah (Hezbollah MP):

We consider that Lebanon is ruled by partnership and whatever the results of the elections are, we cannot change the standing delicate balances or repeat the experiences of the past which led to catastrophes on Lebanon and showed the inability of one party monopolizing power. Whoever wants political stability, the preservation of national unity and the resurrection of Lebanon will find no choice but to accept the principle of consensus.

Certainly looks promising , doesn’t it? Has what began as a single minded, anti-Zionist faction of terrorism evolved into a functioning (if well armed and oft belligerent) member of Lebanon’s political system? I have my doubts. An electoral defeat works for Hezbollah in ways that a victory would not. As Abu Muqawama observes:

Hey, look on the bright side, boys! Now you don’t have to govern. It’s a lot easier to be in the opposition if you’re Hizballah. You still keep your arms, and there is less pressure from the outside. I can’t help but think not everyone in Hizballah was looking forward to all the attention that would have come along with an electoral victory.

Additionally, while Hezbollah may have been defeated in the overall election, it carried the day on it’s home turf along the Lebanese/Israeli border. The true test will come when and if the March 14 coalition follows through with it’s promise to revoke Hezbollah’s veto power, the one device that allows them to legitimately remain armed. Hezbollah lawmaker, Mohammad Raad has insisted the March 14 coalition;

commit not to question our role as a resistance party, the legitimacy of our weapons arsenal and the fact that Israel is an enemy state.

This suggests that whatever it’s political position, Hezbollah’s first priority isn’t Lebanon’s stability, rather is maintaining it’s function as a stateless military faction. The question isn’t whether or not Hezbollah will resist disarmament but to what extent they’ll go in their resistance. Beyond stirring up internal turmoil, they could ratchet up tensions with Israel, who’s position regarding the new government’s responsibilities was, again, made clear:

Israel considers the Lebanese government responsible for any military or otherwise hostile activity that emanates from its territory.

I see interesting times ahead for Lebanon.

Photo via NYTimes