Protests deliver rare political message: What is Hezbollah signaling to the presidency?

Report by Bassam Abou Zeid, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The street protests that unfolded from Wednesday night into Thursday against Israeli attacks on southern towns and villages reflected a change from previous mobilizations.

The most prominent demonstrations took place in Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Salim Salam area.

Notably, the protests carried, for the first time, a direct political message from Hezbollah to the Lebanese presidency.

The protests followed the display of banners and the chanting of slogans critical of President Joseph Aoun, triggered by his recent statements, which the party viewed as a shift in the president’s political rhetoric.

It was clear there was an attempt to shift the anger of the Hezbollah-Amal Movement support base from social media to the streets. This time, however, the protests remained controlled and limited in scope.

According to senior political sources, the campaign against President Aoun went beyond spontaneous reactions and appeared to be organized and driven by a political decision. By contrast, sources familiar with the atmosphere in Baabda expressed surprise at what they described as an unjustified attack, stressing that the president has not deviated from his publicly and privately stated principles.

They said the change in language does not signal any shift in the substance of the position outlined in his inaugural address. What was said publicly, they added, had already been conveyed to Hezbollah officials directly or through established communication channels. There has been no retreat from the commitment to full state sovereignty and the state’s monopoly on weapons.

The campaign against a president who seeks to preserve internal balances, absorb external pressure, and steer the country toward stability with minimal damage appeared puzzling to the sources.

They noted that some parties complicate the situation by clinging to options that can only be described as unrealistic. Aware that current conditions leave no room for half measures, the president chose to speak plainly and state facts without appeasing any side.

He has long been known for not misleading the Lebanese public, regardless of how harsh the realities may be. What stands out in this context is that the campaign went beyond political criticism and escalated to accusations of treason, as if some parties were seeking to sever ties entirely with Baabda.

The presidency, for its part, is said to be deeply displeased with what it sees as an unjustified escalation targeting the office at an extremely sensitive moment, when the country needs national unity.

If what unfolded in the streets was a “rehearsal” intended to pressure the president, the message was received, but the response will not change.

The president, who places the country first, will not alter his convictions or his strategy, which he believes offer the best path to putting Lebanon on the road to recovery. Confronting Israeli escalation, the sources said, cannot be achieved by deepening internal divisions that lead nowhere.

Accordingly, the president will continue pursuing his national approach to serve the interests of all Lebanese and will not hesitate to take all possible steps to protect the country from Israeli aggression. The question remains whether Lebanon can withstand the use of the street as a political tool.