UCDP

General information

Part of Conflict: Israel: Southern Lebanon

Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1985-02-28
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: The creation of Hezbollah was the result of a wide variety of factors. The Shiite community in southern Lebanon at first welcomed the Israeli invasion in 1982, since it expelled the PLO which had been involved in clashes with local actors, primarily Amal. A combination of hard-handed Israeli occupation, the rise of Shiite religious awareness and Iranian influences however facilitated the growth of Hezbollah from dissident Amal (a left-leaning secular Shiite party) and Lebanese National Resistance fighters. Iranian Revolutionary Guards, sent to the Bekaa Valley in 1982 helped set-up the Hezbollah and the organisation, being inspired by the Iranian government’s leader Khomeini, began propagating Islamic rule through clerics. Hezbollah’s structures existed as early as 1983, but it was not until 1985 they officially stated their goals. The Hezbollah Charter of February 1985 outlined the organisation’s three main goals: 1) putting an end to the Israeli occupation of Lebanon and Western imperialist influences (primarily American and French), 2) the creation of an Islamic government in Lebanon, and 3) the destruction of the state of Israel and the establishment Islamic rule over Jerusalem. Hezbollah’s concept of ‘Lebanese territory’, it must be added, includes not only territory placed within Lebanon’s sovereignty and occupied by Israel, but also territories demarcated to be within Israel itself, such as the annexed Shebaa Farms and Seven Villages areas in northern Israel. This places the incompatibility within both Lebanon and Israel.

Date of first use of armed force: 1985-07-01
Comment on date of first use of armed force: Although there were incidents of violence between Israel and Hezbollah before 1985, such as the Israeli air-strike on Amal and Hezbollah positions on 4 January 1984, the first violent incident directed at Israeli interests after the statement of Hezbollahs goals occurred in late June or early July 1985. At that incident it was reported that Hezbollah hijacked a TWA flight and took passengers with Jewish-sounding names as hostages.
First Battle Related Death: 1986-08-01
Comment on First Battle Related Death: The reports immediately after the date of Hezbollahs stated goals are too unclear regarding perpetrator and the circumstances around the attacks to find an exact date for the first battle-related death. By September 1986, when Hezbollah had begun turning its attention from American and French targets towards Israeli and South Lebanese Army (SLA) targets, there was a high probability that the clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli military units (present to ‘advise’ SLA militia forces) resulted in the first battle-related death.

Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1990-07-10
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The Government of Israel-Hezbollah dyad first exceeded the 25 battle-related deaths threshold on 10 July 1990, when an IDF attack on the south Lebanese village of Jarjouh, in Iqlim al-Touffah district, killed 10 Hezbollah fighters.

Note however that the records pertaining to anti-Israeli Hezbollah activities before this date are somewhat unclear, and that it is possible that the dyad exceeded the 25 deaths threshold at an earlier stage.

Conflict issues

Conflict Goal Issues: Hezbollah (Sometimes Hizbullah or Hizbollah, among other variations) was founded in 1982 in conjunction with Israel’s occupation of Southern Lebanon. The group was characterized by an Islamic, Anti-Zionist ideology. While the group was founded sometime in 1982, Hezbollah’s first publicly expressed concerns over conflict issues appeared in a 1985 letter which became foundational to the group’s ideology, guiding principles and method of warfare. The first conflict goal issues pertained to changing Lebanon into an Islamic state and the destruction of Israel. It should be noted that Hezbollah have since the earliest stages of the conflict insisted that the establishment of an Islamic state should be a voluntary decision left to the Lebanese people, only to be enacted should the majority support it. Hezbollah remained mostly consistent in its pursuit of the previously stated conflict goal issues, though it did briefly decide that it would no longer pursue transforming Lebanon into an Islamic state in 1996, that change was quickly reverted. Hezbollah also increased the total number of conflict goal issues over the course of the conflict. The new issues do not appear to represent an ideological shift but could likely be attributed to Hezbollah’s organizational expansion and increased influence, epitomized by its transition into having both an armed branch and a branch serving as a political party. Of the located conflict goal issues, four appear to have received a more frequent mention and been raised by the group over a longer period of time, relative to other issues. The first of these are the establishment of an Islamic state. Though the group did briefly state that they were no longer pursuing such reforms, it has by in large been a heavily emphasized, recurring issue. Stating in 2004 “Hizbullah does not wish to implement Islam forcibly, but rather in a peaceful and political manner, which gives the majority the chance to either accept or refuse it”. Economic reforms, electoral reform and public services also received frequent and continual mention, relative to other issues.

Conflict Dynamics Issues: The earliest located conflict dynamics issues were raised in the 1985 letter and pertained to atrocities and abuses committed against the Muslim population, Israeli military conduct and expelling Israeli forces out of the occupied territory. Hezbollah claimed that “They invaded our country, destroyed our villages, slit the throats of our children, violated our sanctuaries and appointed masters over our people who committed the worst massacres against our umma”. Hezbollah continually raised many of the same issues throughout the conflict. Particularly common among conflict dynamics issues were allegations of atrocities and abuses, demands for Israel to withdraw their forces from occupied territory, release of prisoners and for the removal of foreign influence, most often in reference to Israeli or US involvement. While most issues in the conflict dynamics tier were raised in a moderately continuous fashion, a few issues received significantly more attention, and were raised at a much higher frequency and could therefore be classified as the main issues for the group. Most significant of these were decreased foreign involvement via the withdrawal of foreign forces, as well as atrocities and abuses. Hezbollah would often discuss themselves as being leaders of the resistance and in doing so, expelling Israel was a core issue and later, a great source of pride, for the group. In 2004, Hezbollah described this notion as follows “The seed of resistance is also sowed deep in the ideological beliefs of Hizbullah, a belief that is expressed in the struggle against the Zionist occupation of Lebanon”.

Conflict Resolution Issues: The 1985 letter also contains the first conflict resolution issues located by the project. Specifically Hezbollah raised the issue of accountability in regards to the atrocities committed against the Muslim and Christian population as well as made clear their intention to not accept any form of agreement with Israel, writing, “We recognize no treaty with it, no cease fire, and no peace agreements, whether separate or consolidated”, further explaining that they do not accept recognition or even implied recognition of “the Zionist entity”. Hezbollah raised fewer issues on the conflict resolution tier but showed remarkable consistency in the few issues they did raise. Most interesting perhaps, and indicative of the group’s character and conviction, was the consistency with which they voiced opposition to negotiations. Of the coded conflict resolution issues, opposition to negotiations was most frequently raised issue, as well as the issue which received most emphasis. It appears as though Hezbollah placed great importance and belief in the inevitability of success of the intifada and the righteousness of their cause. Already in 1985 the group stated: “We vigorously condemn all plans for negotiation with Israel, and regard all negotiators as enemies, for the reason that such negotiation is nothing but the recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist occupation of Palestine”.

Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Basic needs, Childrens rights, Citizenship reforms, Civil rights, CPS: Islamic state, CPS: Other/undefined system, Decentralization, Economic reforms, Education system: culture, Education system: increase religion, Electoral reform, Executive power-sharing: interim, Foreign policy reform, Freedom of expression, Hold elections, Land reforms, Protection of cultural heritage, Protection of natural resources/the environment, Public services, Referendum, Religious rights, Water resources

Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, Call for collective targeting: ethnic, Call for collective targeting: other group, Call for collective targeting: religious, DFI: Removal of foreign influence, DFI: Withdrawal of international monitoring, DFI: Withdrawal of military intervention/foreign forces, DFI: Withdrawal of political support, DFI: Withdrawal of sanctions, IFI: Military intervention/foreign forces, IFI: Political support, IFI: Use of foreign influence, Military conduct, Release of prisoners, Return of refugees/IDPs

Conflict Resolution Issues: Accountability/prosecution/investigation, Call for ceasefire, Call for implementation/abiding to ceasefire, Opposition to negotiations, Opposition to peace agreement, Structure of negotiations