The regimes of Saudi Arabia, Israel and beyond this, successive US leaders have been engaged in a long-time disinformation campaign against the Lebanese political party and popular resistance movement, Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is today, one of the most dynamic political forces in Lebanon whose firm opposition to the Takfiri terrorism of groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS has been vindicated by the victory of the Syrian government over foreign funded jihadists.

Hezbollah traces its origins back to the second phase of the Lebanese civil war. After Israel invaded and occupied Lebanon in 1982 and began exploiting Lebanon’s sectarian tensions, Hezbollah officially formed in 1985 as an anti-occupation resistance movement whose primary goal was freeing Lebanon of foreign occupation.

The same year Israel invaded Lebanon, it orchestrated the Sabra and Shatila massacre in which 3,500 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were brutally slaughtered. This event was pivotal in helping to galvanise the volunteers who would eventually form Hezbollah as a means of defending those who were erstwhile defenceless.

Since the official end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990, Hezbollah has consolidated its experience and has become a highly influential political movement. Although centred around its Shi’a core in southern and eastern Lebanon, Hezbollah has come to win support from many diverse factions which comprise Lebanese society.

During his recent trip to Moscow, Lebanese Foreign Minister Geral Bassil of the primarily Maronite Christian Free Patriotic Movement, praised Hezbollah’s role in keeping Lebanon safe from jihadist terrorism. Hezbollah’s armed wing serves as a kind of national guard for Lebanon and in recent years, Hezbollah has volunteered to aid the Syrian Arab Army along with its Russian and Iranian allies in fighting terrorism. Hezbollah recently conducted joint operations with the Syrian Arab Army which resulted in the full defeat of al-Qaeda/al-Nusra and ISIS along the mountainous Syria-Lebanon border.

Today, Hezbollah has the third highest number of seats of any party in the majority March 8 Alliance in the Lebanese parliament. Hezbollah also has two cabinet ministers in the coalition government.

Hezbollah which styles itself as the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon is opposed to further Saudi influence in Lebanon while seeking to maintain partnerships with Iran and Syria. Hezbollah continues to win votes as its volunteers build many roads, schools and hospitals in Lebanon in areas that the central government has traditionally neglected.

Now watch this new video about the past, present and future of Hezbollah: