Abstract

Hezbollah provides a new, grounded analysis of the controversial and misunderstood Lebanese party. Where previous books have focused on aspects of the party’s identity, the military question or its religious discourse, here Joseph Daher presents an alternative perspective, built upon political economy.

Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Lebanon and dozens of interviews, as well as new archival and other primary sources, Daher’s analysis confidently positions Hezbollah within socio-economic and political developments in Lebanon and the Middle East. He emphasises Hezbollah’s historic ties with its main sponsor, the Islamic Republic of Iran, its media and cultural wings and its relationship with Western economic policies.

Further chapters examine the party’s policies towards workers’ struggles and women’s issues, and its orientation towards the sectarian Lebanese political system. Hezbollah is a well informed and fresh analysis of a topic which remains central to our understanding of one of the world’s most tumultuous and politically unstable regions.
'[An] excellent book ... [This] book is a must-read for those seeking to understand Middle Eastern politics. It provides much needed detail and historical context for understanding the rise of one of the most important political parties in the region'
Marxist Left Review
'Timely...[a] well-rounded and incisive discussion of the organisation's place in the contemporary global order'
Muftah
'Most appraisals of Hezbollah from a left-wing perspective have focused, often solely, on its role in the fight against the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, thus serving the party's own mythology. The merit of this iconoclastic book is that it endeavours to analyse Hezbollah from a historical materialist perspective'
iconoclastic
'Both an excellent introduction and fine analysis of Hezbollah as a political entity in Lebanon as well as a social movement ... Highly recommended'
CHOICE
'Essential reading for anyone interested in gaining a more complete understanding of Hezbollah, or present day Lebanese politics'
Perspectives on Terrorism
'An insightful and timely analysis of Hezbollah, situating the party within a fascinating account of the wider Lebanese political economy. An important contribution'
Adam Hanieh, SOAS, University of London
This comprehensive materialist study of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s Party of God, offers knowledge and insightful analysis ... an enjoyable read for both students and scholars of the Middle East and for the general reader'
Arab Studies Quarterly