Aoun-Hezbollah Rift Runs Deep

The decision not to refer the Dhahr al-Baydar explosives case to the Judicial Council may ease tensions within state institutions, but it is no evidence of a thaw between President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah or of renewed communication between them. The deeper dispute concerns the strategic course, particularly direct negotiations with Israel, the state’s monopoly on arms, and the decision over war and peace. The presidency sees diplomacy as a means of protecting Lebanon, while the party views it as a concession that guarantees neither an Israeli withdrawal nor an end to attacks. The article concludes that resolving the legal case alone will not end the rupture unless the disagreement over the state’s authority and role is addressed.

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