Lieutenant Colonel (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, who heads Alma Research and Education Center, is 'your eyes and ears' on the northern border,
I am often asked: What is Hezbollah’s objective? Why are they fighting Israel? Why do they want to conquer the Galilee?
In many cases, those asking these questions are looking for conventional explanations - a struggle over resources, a border dispute, or economic interests. However, what is less discussed in the media is something far deeper. The motivation driving Hezbollah is not rooted in economic or political interests, but in a profound ideological worldview. This is a concept that is very difficult for Western culture to fully grasp.
Hezbollah’s strategic goal is not merely Israel. The objective, as depicted on their flag which features a globe, is to spread the Islamic Revolution worldwide. The mission is to establish an Islamist state in Lebanon and assist wherever possible globally. This is what they have done throughout the Middle East, training the Houthis in Yemen, backing Iraqi militias, and operating in Syria. They are the active arm of the Islamic Revolution of the Iranian Ayatollahs.
Within this mission, there are three core values.
The first is absolute loyalty to the Iranian Supreme Leader.
The second is sacrifice - a value dating back centuries to the origins of the Shiite sect.
The third is a deep-seated hatred for Israel and the United States. Israel is perceived as the long arm of the U.S. and Western culture in the Middle East. Therefore, this conflict is viewed primarily as a war over values - values that the Islamic Revolution fundamentally rejects, such as democracy, equality, and women's rights.
Furthermore, there is an inherent inability to accept Jewish or Christian sovereignty, particularly in Jerusalem. According to their ideology, Jews and Christians should be "dhimmis" (protected subjects) paying taxes, as second class minorities in Islamic political entities. Therefore, Jewish rule in Jerusalem is unacceptable to them.
To permanently defeat Hezbollah and achieve lasting peace, this ideology must be defeated, much like the Nazi ideology was defeated in Germany. Today, Nazi ideology exists but it no longer controls a state or wields military power. For any solution to hold, this radical ideology cannot maintain military strength or governing control.
When discussing solutions in Lebanon, we must recognize the complexity. Any international effort to resolve the situation must include the goal of dismantling Hezbollah's "State Within a State." As long as Hezbollah retains the power to manage its parallel shadow state, which at present includes essential services and, crucially, an education system that propagates its ideology, it will be extremely difficult for the Lebanese state to rid itself of Hezbollah and Iranian influence.
The West often misses this critical point: the solution requires dismantling the mechanisms of Hezbollah’s parallel state, its funding, its services, and its radical educational infrastructure.