A recent visit to war-damaged areas of Lebanon by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam caught his allies and opponents alike off guard. It also provided the war-torn region of a divided country with a moment of quiet hope for many citizens, even amid noisy partisan protest.
His visit to the Nabatieh and South Lebanon governorates—Hezbollah's heartlands—carried political but also emotional significance. It unnerved Hezbollah to have the country's new prime minister survey the devastation and listen to the concerns of the local people.
Government officials typically have to obtain the militia's approval before visiting its areas of influence, but with the era of Hezbollah domination apparently over, it was able to do so. To demonstrate its displeasure, Hezbollah sent people to disrupt his visit, trying to make it look like there was "local" opposition to his presence. This was preceded by an online spear campaign against Nawaf, who they tried to pin as a "zionist".
Distraction tactic
All these theatrics are just a way for the group to distract people from its role in inviting such massive destruction on the country. It has used such methods in the past to tighten its control over its members while shifting accountability for its own actions onto other parties.
While the group was eager to portray the visit as unpopular with its supporters, the truth is that southerners were just as divided over the visit as they were over the war. In Khiam, one local asked Salam whether he could liberate Hammams Hill through talks alone. In Nabatieh, another delivered a grandiose speech about dignity, honour, and sacrifice. Both appeared scripted rather than spontaneous, as though performing rehearsed roles.
