Uncovering the evolution of Hezbollah’s political communication strategy

Lebanon’s consociational democracy is geared towards maintaining political stability in a society that is deeply divided along religious lines. Under this power-sharing system, seats in the parliament and top government offices are allocated to representatives of the nation’s major religious sects. However, the democratic system is characterized by severe political rivalry, which has often resulted in political vacuums. The lack of political consensus has resulted in major positions such as the seat of president laying vacant for several months and severe delays in government formation.

Hezbollah, a major political party in Lebanon, is often blamed for the dysfunction in the country’s democracy. Although Hezbollah plays a leading role in the political coalition, the March 8 Forces, and actively participates in the electoral process, the party continues to maintain its military wing, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. Hezbollah is also known to take hardline stances against rival parties, particularly during disputes over disarmament of its military wing.

In a recent study, Professor Kota Suechika from the College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, examined Hezbollah’s political communication strategy towards its rival parties from 2017 to 2023 by conducting a quantitative text analysis of news articles from Al-Manar, the party’s primary media outlet. The findings of the study were published in Nationalism and Ethnic Politics on 20 April 2025.

The analysis of tone of coverage in Hezbollah’s main media outlet revealed Hezbollah’s rational, strategic, and pragmatic political stance in its political communication. In addition, it was found that Hezbollah was increasingly critical of its rival parties during nationwide crises like the October 17 Revolution and the Beirut port blast. The party also adopted a more critical stance during confrontations with Israel. Moreover, it became more cooperative with its rival parties after the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it expressed more positive views of its rivals during parliamentary election campaigns.

“This study by employing quantitative text analysis methodologically contributes to an underdeveloped area of Arabic-language political discourse in Middle Eastern studies. The findings of the study revealed that Hezbollah’s political communication is shaped by institutional constraints and strategic considerations within Lebanon’s consociational democracy, challenging the essentialist interpretations of  Hezbollah’s conduct,” explains Prof. Suechika.

Thus, the study presents a novel approach, diverging from the primary concept of Islamism or sectarianism. It further highlights that the party is strategically choosing the best option for the organization’s survival in a changing Lebanon’s internal and external political environment. This suggests that Lebanon’s socio-economic and political crises stemmed not from Hezbollah’s uncompromising political stance but from the inherent failures of the consociational democracy itself, which fosters unaccountable elite rule of Lebanon’s long-lasting sectarian oligarchy.

“This paper is a practical example of Area Studies 2.0, which can address the issues of prejudice and discrimination faced by the Middle East and more broadly, the Islamic world from other regions by promoting data-driven and evidence-based research,” concludes Prof. Suechika.

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Reference

DOI: 10.1080/13537113.2025.2472488

About Ritsumeikan University, Japan
Ritsumeikan University is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan. Its main campus is in Kyoto, where inspiring settings await researchers. With an unwavering objective to generate social symbiotic values and emergent talents, it aims to emerge as a next-generation research-intensive university. It will enhance researcher potential by providing support best suited to the needs of young and leading researchers, according to their career stage. Ritsumeikan University also endeavors to build a global research network as a “knowledge node” and disseminate achievements internationally, thereby contributing to the resolution of social/humanistic issues through interdisciplinary research and social implementation.

Website: http://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/

Ritsumeikan University Research Report: https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/radiant/eng/

About Professor Kota Suechika from Ritsumeikan University, Japan
Dr. Kota Suechika is a Professor at the College of International Relations, as well as the Director of the Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (CMEIS) at Ritsumeikan University, Japan. He is a scholar of Middle Eastern politics and obtained his MA degree from CMEIS at the University of Durham and his Ph.D. from Kyoto University. His research interests focus on conflict and authoritarianism, with particular attention to Islamists and non-state actors in the Middle East.

Funding information
This work was supported by the JSPS KAKENHI under Grant Numbers JP23H00043, JP22KK0018, and JP19H04374.