Before Hezbollah: The Leftist Resistance Israel Crushed in Lebanon

As Israel escalates its war on Lebanon, one narrative dominates: that Hezbollah is the cause of the conflict.

But that story erases decades of history.

Long before Hezbollah existed, southern Lebanon was already a frontline of anti-colonial struggle led by Palestinian fighters, Lebanese leftists, and marginalized communities resisting Israeli aggression and internal neglect.

In this episode of Dispatches, Rania Khalek speaks with scholar Nate George about:

• THE ORIGINS OF RESISTANCE IN SOUTH LEBANON
• THE ROLE OF THE LEBANESE LEFT AND THE PLO
• HOW ISRAEL, THE US, AND REGIONAL POWERS CRUSHED THAT MOVEMENT
• THE SHIFT FROM SECULAR REVOLUTION TO ISLAMIST RESISTANCE
• WHY HEZBOLLAH EMERGED — AND WHAT IT REPLACED

This conversation challenges the dominant narrative and reveals a deeper truth

Hezbollah didn’t emerge out of nowhere. It came out of a long history of resistance that started with the left, the PLO, and southern Lebanese communities.