464 Resisting Publics
in an attempt to reconcile, as much as possible, its principles, aims, and
political ideology, on the one hand, and the circumstances and its objective
capabilities, on the other, by heavy reliance on the jurisprudence concepts
of necessity, vices, and interests. This dramatic shift allowed Hizbullah’s
involvement in the Lebanese political system as it is. Thus, Hizbullah has
participated in all the elections in the post-Ta’if Agreement era.^19
n the domestic sphere, Hizbullah called for the establishment of I
civil peace; the founding of a state of law and institutions; the promo-
tion of political participation; political, administrative, social, and eco-
nomic reforms; the upholding of public freedoms; and dialogue among
all Lebanese. Hizbullah stressed the need to address pressing social and
developmental issues, such as health, education, and culture, as well as
the environment. The party emphasized social justice through construc-
tive mechanisms that could help resolve Lebanon’s serious socio-eco-
nomic and financial crisis by finding a proper balance between material
and human resources. This could be achieved not only by defending the
downtrodden and oppressed but also by realizing socio-economic devel-
opment through balanced development projects targeting deprived and
dispossessed areas.
onetheless, in this phase of Hizbullah, all the party’s political pro-N
grams continued to strongly support the Resistance, even after the lib-
eration of Lebanon from the Israeli occupation. Hizbullah developed a
special relationship with Emile Lahoud, a general of the Lebanese Army
(1989–1998) and then president of the Lebanese Republic (1998–2007). In
1993, when Lahoud was general, he had refused to obey the Lebanese cabi-
net and send the Army to the south to impose order and stop Hizbullah’s
fight against Israel, much to the approval of Syria and Hizbullah. The rela-
tionship between Lahoud and Hizbullah was further consolidated when
Lahoud visited Nasrallah in 1997 and “congratulated” him on the “martyr-
dom” of his son Hadi. Despite Hizbullah’s focus on resistance, in November
1997, as a way to demonstrate the party’s national character, Hizbullah
established the secular-patriotic, multi-confessional Lebanese Brigades
for Fighting the Israeli Occupation,^20 a move encouraged by Lahoud.
During Lahoud’s tenure as president, Hizbullah developed a strategic
alliance with him as Syria’s man in Lebanon, who would not allow the
Resistance to be disarmed.