Hezbollah’s eroding position as a legitimate defender of Lebanese interests is exposing it to domestic challengers like protesters, opposition parties and rival tribes -- raising the risk that the militant group will resort to force to maintain its hold on power in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s move to fire a dozen rockets toward Israel on Aug. 6 has since further harmed its reputation as a Lebanese national resistance movement by creating the potential for an escalation with the Israeli army. While war was averted as both sides have since de-escalated, the Iran-backed militant group and the political party faced notable criticism for its actions. In a significant incident, once-friendly Druze villagers in the Hezbollah-dominated south seized a Hezbollah rocket platform on Aug 6. Days later, a long-term critic of Hezbollah, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, urged the Lebanese army to take control of the country’s southern border. ...
