“Those who hope for the defeat of the Resistance will only find it more violent.” So said Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, addressing a crowd in Beirut via video link on the eve of Ashoura. He was one of three voices representing the Iranian axis to speak this weekend. In Damascus, Ahmed Jibril of the PFLP (GC) and staunch ally of Hamas, hinted that all fronts could be opened in what is threatening to blossom into a regional struggle. Iranian Supreme National Security Council Chief Saeed Jalili, speaking from the grave of Imad Mugniyah, Hezbollah’s very own Che Guevara, also vigorously exhorted those who seek to resist Zionist aggression to take the fight to the enemy. 

But then we all know the true nature of the Iran-Hezbollah dynamic. The party of God doesn’t care about the defense of Palestine per se; the cause is nothing more than a convenient, and emotionally charged, cover for its real strategic purpose, which is to do Tehran’s bidding in shaping the balance of power in the region as it faces off against the West. 

This time however, the Lebanese government is playing it straight (and smart). It has made donations to the people of Gaza, allowed boats destined to deliver aid to use Lebanese ports, and allowed the Lebanese and Palestinians living in Lebanon to give full voice to their disgust. In doing so, Fouad Siniora has avoided what would have been the inevitable slings and arrows from the opposition ranks, accusing him of not caring enough and once again portraying him as a pro-American puppet. This has strengthened the state’s hand in this volatile period, one in which rogue elements of the Middle East drama – Nasrallah, Jibril and Jalili – have jostled their way to the front of the stage. But it is not enough. Lebanon is still hostage to Iran’s regional ambitions, which can be played out at a moment’s notice by Hezbollah, its beloved private army.

Israel’s dangerous adventure in Gaza, and the threat it poses to regional stability, should be a wake-up call – as if one were needed – to all Lebanese for a speedy resolution in drafting a national defense strategy. Without it, Hezbollah can still drag Lebanon into another war with Israel, one that the Israeli Defense Force would eagerly become involved in, such is its eagerness to erase the memory of being fought to a standstill in South Lebanon in 2006. The fighting in Gaza should also remind us of the necessity of fast-tracking UNSCR 1701, which calls for, among other things, the disbandment of all armed groups that are not controlled by the state. 

When, as a country, Lebanon still hovers on the fringes of fully-fledged statehood, the fighting in Gaza is a stark reminder of the dangers that threaten its security, the sovereignty of its democratically elected government and ultimately the safety of its population.