The War in Lebanon
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This episode of the LRB Podcast examines Israel's escalating war against Lebanon, which began in March 2026 and has resulted in over 2,000 deaths, widespread displacement, and the near-total destruction of southern Lebanese communities. Host Adam Schatz is joined by historians Joël Abirashad and Mohamed Bazi, who provide on-the-ground insights into how the war has transformed daily life in Beirut and beyond. They describe a war that is no longer just physical but psychological and technological—marked by relentless drone surveillance, AI-driven strikes, sonic booms, and the targeting of civilian infrastructure. The episode explores the deepening existential crisis in Lebanon, the collapse of state authority, and the erosion of international moral frameworks, particularly in light of the hypocrisy surrounding the Gaza conflict and the selective application of human rights discourse. Both guests emphasize that Hezbollah’s continued military presence, rooted in historical resistance to Israeli occupation, has been reinforced by decades of U.S. and Israeli policies that deliberately weakened the Lebanese state. The war has also intensified sectarian tensions, with Israel allegedly promoting ethnic cleansing and deepening divisions between Shia, Christian, and Sunni communities. Despite this, the hosts highlight emerging cross-sectarian solidarity and civil society resilience as critical counterweights to fragmentation. The episode concludes with a sobering assessment: Lebanon faces a stark choice between diplomacy and existential erasure, with no clear path forward amid overwhelming external pressures and internal fractures.
War in Lebanon has evolved into a psychological and technological assault, with AI-driven strikes and constant drone surveillance making civilian life unbearable.
Israel’s strategy includes creating a sterile buffer zone in southern Lebanon, depopulating villages, and exploiting sectarian divisions to undermine national unity.
The Lebanese state remains weak due to decades of deliberate U.S. and Israeli policies that prevented the army from being equipped to confront Israel.
Hezbollah’s legitimacy is being challenged by its own constituency, especially among Shia communities weary of war, loss, and regional entanglements.
Civil society and cross-sectarian solidarity are emerging as vital forces in the face of state collapse and rising sectarian tensions.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Onslaught on Lebanon: A New Kind of War
“War is not a singular event but something in the air one inhales, gradually learning to domesticate and contain.”
The Psychological and Technological Transformation of War
“You live amongst moving targets. This is how it feels. Although on that Wednesday of April 8th, most of those who lost their lives that day were civilians again.”
The Myth of Hezbollah’s National Resistance
“The U.S. is never arming the Lebanese army to confront Israel. We would be arming the Lebanese army to confront Hezbollah. That's the purpose.”
Israel’s Strategy: Buffer Zones and Ethnic Cleansing
“Israel is trying to depopulate these areas entirely. Or if that doesn’t work, trying to work with towns that are majority Christian or majority Druze and trying to pressure... Christians and Druze in some of these towns not to take in their Shia neighbors.”
The Collapse of the State and the Rise of Civil Society
Despite the government’s weakness, civil society has stepped in to provide shelter, food, and aid. The episode highlights the resilience of mixed marriages, churches opening their doors, and NGOs mobilizing—proof that Lebanon remains an inter-confessional society, even as the state fails.
“It's either existential erasure or diplomacy. And in fact, Barack had warned the government of the possibility of Lebanon seizing from existing.”
“The U.S. is never arming the Lebanese army to confront Israel. We would be arming the Lebanese army to confront Hezbollah. That's the purpose.”
“Israel is trying to depopulate these areas entirely. Or if that doesn’t work, trying to work with towns that are majority Christian or majority Druze and trying to pressure... Christians and Druze in some of these towns not to take in their Shia neighbors.”
Host
Guests
Lebanon
place
Israel
place
Hezbollah
organization
United States
place
Joël Abirashad
person
Mohamed Bazi
person
Iran
place
Gaza
place
Netanyahu
person
Adam Schatz
person
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