·         Introduction

·         Foreword

·         Theoretical tracks  for formation of images in the " Israeli mind"

·          First: Factors Influencing Stereotyped Formation of Images in the Israeli Mind

·         Second: "The ego" and "the other" in the Jewish Religious Thinking

·         Third: "The Self"   and "The Other" in the Zionist Thinking

 

·         The image of Hezbollah in the "Israeli mind"

·         Hezbollah Enters the "Israeli Phantasm"

·         Informational Presence

 

·         Stereotypical expressions for the Image of Hezbollah in the "Israeli mind"

·         Paradoxical descriptions… from a ferocious enemy to a wise party

·         Ideological Solidity and Organizational Flexibility

·         The Combatant, the Defender… and the Triumphant

·         The Cipher – Word, "Jerusalem"…

·         The Man Who became "Fabulous"

 

  

 

·         Introduction

 

This valuable scientific study, prepared by a well – known scholar specialized in the Israeli enemy matters, represents a new attempt to fathom the features of the image – embedded in the Zionist mind – of Hezbollah, who was able to originate a qualitative move in the history of our nation's struggle against this arrogant enemy; a shift of which the Israeli rout out of Gaza Strip was but a first translation, in the sense of the defeat of the Zionist expansionist project and commencement of the countdown for this racist project to be vanquished.

Through his study of the formation routes of the theoretical frame, in which the conceptual structures constituting "the image of the other" in the Israeli mind are molded, and based on his examination of the material published in  communication media, our scholar sought to sketch the real lineaments of the image of the resistive Hezbollah in the enemy's mind, till after the liberation of South Lebanon in May 2000, in hopeful anticipation that this study creates an impetus for other more profound and more comprehensive studies, so as to serve the most high-ranking intellectual/cultural level of this blessed Jihadist and fiducial march.

 

 

·         Foreword

 

Social researches are interested in studying the duality of "the ego and the other", due to the epistemic dimension it constitutes in revealing the conceptual structures existent in the "social whole" and associated with the form of symbolic and epistemic conceptions inside the accumulative consciousness of "the ego and the other", which – by internalization thereof produces the sum of cutting determinants in each of the social ad cultural approaches of any two disparate parties… Therefore, "the ego and the other" duality raises a rich and prolific controversy in the social studies domain due to the great importance thereof in revealing the significance of the social structure, because we can't study individuals except within the boundaries of such a setting. Similarly, the social structure can not be studied except by reference to these individuals who constitute the units of that Structure.1

Yet, epistemic entering to the depths of cognizance of the mechanisms that form opposite images between different groups/individuals is not a matter that could be simplified or unfolded, because these mechanisms are subject to a group of interactional factors, whereas the elements that effect cultural genesis, psychological formation, intellectual trend, and mental pattern are tightly interpenetrated, the thing that complicates the disintegration of "the other's image" formation. Scopes, to the extent that it would be rather impossible to limit these factors to one single element, on basis that there are different levels and contexts of reaction between "the ego" and "the other", or between one human and another, through which the image of "the other" is created, whereas human beings form classes (categories) that start with the individual, and any social formation such as the family, tribe, region, people, minority, or race, and soon, If we take into consideration that individuals – in each of these categories (or levels of reaction) – formulate the image of "the other", drawing on three basic courses: firstly (educational – psychological), secondly (reactional – factual) and thirdly (restitutional – historical), Keeping in mind the above mentioned levels and courses, then "the ego" would produce a great number of images of "the other", whereas within on frame susceptible of analysis and implementation.2

This complexity in the ego's courses of producing "the other's" image is governed – in many aspects thereof by the inlets of cultural and intellectual in fusion to which the individual is subjected within the convened levels, and to the directional and indoctrinational action of which this individual is being led to, in the pedagogical and cultural setting – up operations, which – in turn – would have an effective bearing on producing stereotyped moulds inside "the ego's" mind toward "the other", whereas the "stereotype conception" takes full control of perceptions, from which "the ego" originates when this "ego" deals with "the other" at all social, cultural, and intellectual levels.

From the very depth of this methodical vision, this research attempts to explore the features of Hezbollah's image. Embedded inside "the Israeli mind", being a heterogeneous "other", and at three different levels: Cultural heterogenesis; religious heterogenesis; and ideological heterogenesis… All that by working actively in order to extract the terminology that is of conceptual dimensions, and which is directly involved in developing that image in the sight of Israeli public opinion, by inquiring as far as possible into the "Vocabulary" that appeared in three separate fields:

 

1 – The Israeli Press, being an effective influential and basic means in the Processes of producing and reproducing structures of stereotyped images [of the "heterogeneous other"] that are adopted by the Israeli public opinion.

2 – Fabrications of Political thinking, which had been presented by a group of thinktanks and strategists in the Israeli entity, in an attempt to provide intellectual treatment to the Hezbollah phenomenon from political and sociological perspectives.

3 – Declarations and utterances of Zionist leaders, political and military alike, as the embody the "maximal modeling" inside the ideologized Israeli mind, and as they play an important role in activating the "oriented courses" in order to set up trends in the Israeli public opinion.

 

The methodological purpose of this temporal limitation relates to the "apex state" attained by the intellectual, political and in formational "emotion" which had been escorting and observing Hezbollah's phenomenon for about fifteen years. This is on the one hand… on the other hand, walking away from a "battlefield" – especially with matters that need studying, contemplating and thorough thinking – contributes in reducing the level of emotional – intellectual tension and helps in providing more "neutralism" and "objectivism" (though relatively), the thing that renders the present "image" much more corresponding to truth which is embodied there in, inside the "Israeli mentality".

 

Systematically, this research is divided into two parts:

The first part examines the formation courses of the theoretical frame, within which the conceptual structures constituting the image of "the other" inside the Israeli mind are moulded, whether these elements were of a historical – ideological – intellectual nature or whether they were the means and instruments employed in producing "image developing" process.

The second part is the part that shall concentrate on dealing with the material published through informational and non informational means of communication, due to the important and essential role it plays in the process of developing the image of "the ego and the other". In the process of extracting "the image of Hezbollah" from that material, the study will concentrate on using the "content analysis" technique. This technique has been adopted because of its importance in studying the published material, and because this method had been approved for extracting social principles, values, concepts, and morals that are being presented to the public opinion, where as the upbringing of generations is carried out on the rhythm there of, noting that both approved methods of this technique are to be resorted to. These two approved methods are: Quantitative Analysis of the content; and Qualitative Analysis of this content.

There remains to point out that nobody claims the comprehensiveness of this research as to all aspects relating to the formation of Hezbollah's stereotyped image in the "Israeli mind" This research paper is nothing more than a mere attempt to comprehend that image and its formation mechanisms – to the best ability of the researcher – supplemented with the hope that this research serves as an incentive and a Starting point for other researches to be more comprehensive, beneficial and profound in vision, thereby to serve cultural and intellectual advancement of this blessed "Jihadi" line, through siding with "the truth", following "objectivity and bringing about "scholarly/ scientific increment".

 

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Theoretical tracks for formation of images in the "Israeli mind"

 

 

o         First: Factors Influencing Stereotyped Formation of Images in the Israeli Mind

 

As is the case with any "mind" or intellectual pattern, the Israeli mind (and the Jewish in particular) has its own patternization for understanding the image of "the other", whereas building – up this image depends on apprehension and perception of "the ego", which is the principle author in producing the image of "the other".

Yet, before studying the features of the image of "the ego" and "the other", we have to look – first and before all – into the factors that influence the mechanisms of image formation (of the ego and the other) inside the Jewish (Israeli) mind.

 

1 – Religious Eclecticism

 

This takes us back to the first appearance of Judaism, as it was the first celestial religion, brought by a prophet, carrying a global Epistle and seeking to accomplish a political/religious regime. Those characteristics bestowed a particularity and a distinction on Judaism, being different from all other religious actions and practices then prevailing.

A glimpse at the Pentateuch would help us discover many features of this particularity. According to the Pentateuch "God has chosen the Jews as a special nation of His, and bestowed on them what he never offered to anybody else…"3

 

 This particularity tempted the followers of this religion to move into a state of intellectual and psychological ascension which grounded basically on the notion of religious eclecticism, the thing which led to the concept of denial of "the other" inside the Jewish mentality. This mainstream subsequently intensified with the rise of Christianity, Which was accompanied by confrontations between the Jews and the new devotees who received a great deal of chasing and torturing, owing to Jewish instigation against them, the thing that instituted for a state of mutual hatred.

Originating from the same religious and cultural basic grounds, the process of producing "the other" recurred when Islam appeared in the Arabian Peninsula. The same religious authority which denied the Christian, denied the Muslim as well. Eventually, the means and mechanisms utilized for producing the image of "the other" inside the Jewish mind were directly affected by the religious seclusion which the Jews lived, and which originated from rating themselves as God's chosen people.

 

 2 – Inward Exile

The Jews were forced by the Romans to leave Jerusalem; they voluntarily turned to a state of "inward exile" in the places they settled down in. They lived within the walls of the socially, religiously and culturally enclosed ghettos. This phenomenon has two contradictory faces: The First in their fear to be affected by "the other" and the second is their feeling of transcendence towards "the other".

Jewish leaders endeavored to intensify the Jewish individual's spirit of inward exile by refusing to call the places they settled in "a homeland". They insisted on using the idiom "Diaspora" as part of the Jews "Symbolical System" to denote their adherence to return to the "homeland".

In consequence of a religious eclecticism we notice that "this self seclusion and exclusion of the other will clash in Diaspora. The reaction of the religiously and socially excluded "other" is the Christians' social, legal and political exclusion of the Jew in the Christian Western. This is the phenomenon which was known – in the European history – as anti Semitism"4

 

 

3 – Sempiternal Persecution Complex

 

The fountainhead of the persecution complex could be basically linked to the look at "the self", which is founded on the concept of divine eclecticism, meaning that the Jew always considers himself to be right and thus tends to fabricate constructive explanations for the behavior of "the other". Those explanations had to suit "his" superiority and "the other's inferiority as well. So, he finds nothing in the other but aggressiveness, hatred, jealousy and envy. Those psychological peculiarities accompanied the Jewish personality that voluntarily lived the ghetto – life.

This situation had its negative impact on the Jewish individual's psychological constitutional level, leading to a continual feeling of subjugation and oppression, and hence, the Jew became tendentious to secrecy and seclusion. Those influential and effective elements had their impact on the construction of the Jewish mind, when constructing and formulating images of the non – Jewish "other".

 

4 – Religious and Non – Religious Reference

 

This is one of the elements that had newly entered the system of influential and efficacious factors in constructing the concepts of the Jewish mind. What is meant by "newly" is the post Jewish enlightenment period, during which efforts were exerted to free the Jews culturally from religious – texts captivity, and to proceed there with towards accepting non-revival in Europe, in an attempt to make him socially mix with the other social categories inside the countries where they used to live. Hence, between the religious reference (Old history Jews) and the secular reference (modern history Jews), the image of "the other" swayed between absolute refusal (rejection of the other) and conditional acceptance (superiority viewpoint), but this "other" has always been perceived as second class or less.

 

 

o        Second: "The ego" and "the other" in the Jewish Religious Thinking

 

The influence of Jewish religious thinking remained – until recently – contingent upon the daily religious action in the life of the Jewish individual, due to the two following reasons:

A – The social behavioral course, which was adopted by the Jewish groups after the banishment and displacement they endured, led to establishment of enclosed Jewish gatherings (ghettos), with the aim of maintaining the religious and natural identity of those groups.

B – The nature of the Jewish religion, in as much as it encompasses most of the sides of the Jewish individual's life, in his relation with his God, and in his relation with others, whether or not those others are Jews. This nature enabled the Jewish religion to interfere in the details of the Jewish society's daily life, and consequently, created a basic authoritative source for setting – up concepts and notions inside the Jewish mind.

 

In the Jewish religious text, the purports and features of the "Jewish Self" rotate mainly round religious eclecticism so that the idea of "the chosen people of God" becomes the element of comparison between Jews and non-Jews. Accordingly", any Jew from the chosen people is selected by God from among all beings, while non – Jews are not human beings, and consequently, is created by God to serve Jews. Therefore, a Jew is sacred and divine, while a non – Jew is unclean and an animal".5

 

Based on this perspective, and depending on the Talmud text, senior rabbis put up a full set of impermissibles and taboos that separate between Jews and non-Jews, grounded on the fact that "this other" does not-psychologically are physically – mount up to the level of Jews, and "that is why Christianity – according to rabbinical teachings – is classified as pagan and heathen. Furthermore, all Christian emblems, quintessences and imageries are imageries are looked upon as idols.

 

On the other hand, though Judaism's look at Islam is relatively lighter than that at Christianity, yet, the ready appellation and nickname of Mohammad the prophet is "lunatic". More over, the Holy Quraan – unlike the Bible – is not doomed to be burnt, but it is not respected in as much as Islam respects the holy Jewish scrolls".6

 

 

o        Third: "The Self"   and "The Other" in the Zionist Thinking

 

Between Holding on to Self – seclusion inside the Jewish ghetto, and the call for social mixing in west – European countries, the Zionist Movement – in its political and religious orientations – managed to build up a new intellectual pattern which included the Jewish religious text and the secular (socialistic and liberal) adages, so as to serve its alleged conceptual synthesis which is based on the divine right and the historical right to settle in Palestine.

Within this new intellectual pattern, the image features of "the self" and "The Other" witnessed no change in the Jewish mind because of the two following reasons:

1 – The former Zionist intellects turned to take advantage of religious and intellectual orientations to attract the basic categories of the Jewish society, within which clergymen had the greatest influence and power. This is what necessitated mating between Zionism and Judaism for creating a religious incentive that helps in activating expedition of Jewish migration to Palestine.

2 – The former pioneers of the Zionist Movement (thinkers and writers) were much affected by the intellectual and cultural constituents which the European civilization presented, the image of "the other" (the western/the Christian/the European) became more acceptable and more conspicuous, while on the other hand the image of "the other" (the Arab/the Muslim) was formed in accordance with the intellectual molds which the western mind produced during and after the Renaissance.

 

Due to the sameness of the cultural and intellectual climate, it was quite natural for the image of Arabs and Muslims to pass form the Western thinking to the Zionist mind, whereas the features of this image emerged in the writings and thoughts, published by Zionist thinkers and men of letters, especially when they worked on treating the idea of establishing a Jewish national homeland in Palestine, where "the self" is the Jewish people who is to be presented as a hero, a striver and as a civilize nationally distinguished nation.

 

On the other hand, "the other" who is the Palestinian people (Arabs/Muslims) becomes primitive, uncivilized, immoral and inhuman. Normative and standard aolages that harmonize with the pattern of values, invented by Zionist thinkers were numerous, but anti – Semitism had always been the constant element in the Zionist address of old thinkers, new thinkers and military leaders as well.

 

The earlier thinkers who instituted and worked for the Zionist Movement – first in their writings and in their political and informatory performance thereafter – made every effort to highlight the political and intellectual frame work necessary for formation of the image of "the ego" and "the other", by adopting two – complementary yet separate – approaches:

A – Glorification and exaltation of the Jewish "Self", by placing it in the forefront of all humans. This stereotyped image accords with that, which the Jewish religious text presents.

B – Misprision and suppression of "the other", by ruining the image thereof, starting with distortion of that image, passing to degradation and cancellation thereof, and ending up with intellectual and speculative disavowal of that image.

 

After having looked at the image of "the Self" and "the other" in the Zionist intellect, it is worth having a glimpse at some statements and declarations of a number of Israeli leaders who lived the rise of the State of Israel, to get a well – rounded look of that image.

 

No doubt some distinguished leaders like David Ben Gorion, Haem Weitzman, Moshe Dayan. Golda Mair and Manahem Begen had very important and central roles in embodying and in fixing the Jew's image of "himself" and of "the other", the way they wanted these images to look, especially when this "other" is an enemy (i.e. the Palestinian/the Arab).

 

Reverting to the traditional leaders of the Hebraic state who accompanied the preparations for establishment of the Jewish homeland, we find David Ben Gorion is the most expressional of "the ego" and "the other". It is he himself who had written in his letters about the super powers and capabilities which the Jewish people enjoy. Contrary to that, Ben Gorion speaks about the Arabs weakness and ends up denying the existence of Palestinian Arabs. An example of that is what he wrote to his cousin (Amous) on 05/10/1937, where he said: "We shall never forget the basic reasons for which we came to settle in Palestine. The Jews creative power is the outcome of the tough life they lived for long generations abroad. We have the ability to make the desert fructuous, to originate industries, to build up economy, to create a civilization, and to conquer the air and the sea with the assistance of the world and with our pathfinding incentive".7

 

Even though Ben Gorion is considered – by the majority of the Jewish society in Israel – to have ascended to the rank of kings thereof, yet, on the other bank of the Zionist ideology, there stands another king of no less momentous – ness, called Manahim Begen, who is a graduate of "the Jabotenski School8.

 

 "What grants a special privilege to Begen and his colleagues, who graduated from the same school, is stern fanaticism to their Jewish nationalism and their mastery of degradation and debasement of "the other".

 

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The image of Hezbollah in the "Israeli mind"

 

o        Hezbollah Enters the "Israeli Phantasm"

 

Within the "patternization structure", the image of Hezbollah proliferated inside the Israeli mind. This image was an extension of what had accumulated inside the Jewish additive mind, about their direct enemies (Palestinian Resistance, Fedaiyeen, ravagers) in particular, and about Arabs (in and around Israel) in general…

 

This is one of the considerations that prolongated the span of time which the field – action dynamics required (resistance for example) to re-produce "the enemy's image" in the Israeli thinking, particularly because the Islamic Resistance (Hezbollah) started to introduce itself, long after commencement of occupation (i.e. when Hezbollah officially declared its existence in an open letter in February 1985). Since then, Hezbollah started to infiltrate "the Israeli phantasm" the identity" and "quiddity" of this new "arriver" to the social ad psychological influence arena inside Israel.

 

Two factors helped – one way or another – to keep the "Resistance image" at the level of generality (terrorists, ravagers…) which was prevailing then, without referring to Hezbollah's image, despite the fact that the name of the Islamic Resistance – as a basic and active faction in that "Resistance" – had already started to crop up, but with a different identity and a different association. These two factors are:

           1) Matters related to the Lebanese interior (impact and precariousness of the civil war).

           2) Matters related to political ad informational state of affairs of "the Resistance".

 

Yet, the early 90's of the last century witnessed a dramatic upheaval in "the trends" of the Israeli public opinion toward the internal bearings and repercussions of what was happening in the Lebanese south (soldiers killed, settlements shelled..), whereas the remarkable performance achieved by the "Islamic Resistance" (Hezbollah) had an effective role in reconstituting the Israeli public's questions about the identity of "the enemy" who kills their sons in the two wars of July 1993 and April 1996.

 

Since then, the Israeli relinquished his "generalization" in presenting "the image of the enemy", being forced to admit that his problem – at the other end – is Hezbollah, whose name adhered to all military and political occurrences that followed, whether or not Hezbollah was involved therein. When the Israeli information writes the history of "the Liquidation War" which took place in July 1993, this information writes about a fierce war between "the Israeli Army" and Hezbollah. This information does not talk about "terrorists" or "ravagers" or even about "an armed faction" as was the habit during the 80's. It was written that on "25/07/93 the Israeli forces launched a wide operation against Hezbollah in South Lebanon… an anticipation period of two weeks before this operation, during which Israel warned Hezbollah to stop opening fire toward its territories… on the first day of that campaign there was thick exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah… afterwards, the  Israeli Defense Forces commenced bombarding villages in South Lebanon… but Hezbollah never stopped shelling Galileo  Settlements with Catucha missiles… after around of phone conversations between the American Foreign Minister (Warn Christopher), the Israeli Prime Minister (Yitzhak Rabin) and the Syrian Foreign Minister (Farouk Al – Shara) warfare stopped and the two parties agreed (without signatures) that Hezbollah stops shelling "the security Belt" with Catusha".9

 

The full presence of Hezbollah is quite obvious in this text, contrary to the extent of presence it uses to enjoy in the Israeli collective mind. Consequently, the question marks posed by the Israeli public opinion increased and heightened. Every body was looking at the leadership, expecting to get the required answers to their questions, and people started to blame their leadership (and not Hezbollah which has become a predestination) for what was befalling them. Hezbollah was no more a part of the image in the Israeli mind; it in fact became the whole image of "the other".

 

It is worth mentioning here that the revolution which the whole world witnessed in the field of media and communications had its impact on the Israel society's reactionary arena, affected by what was happening on the Lebanese side. "The Resistance" precociously recognized the great importance and effectiveness of this "weapon" and was able to use it in its war against the enemy, the thing that augmented the impact and efficiency of image conveyance on the Israeli mind. The renowned military commentator – Zaef shef – clearly declared the victory of Hezbollah's information when he says: "The Shiite formation is the victor in this informative contest. The documentary films which are photographed by Hezbollah's photographers, who escort the operations against the Israeli Defense Forces and the "Southern Lebanon Army" aim at revealing the bravery and firmness of Hezbollah's combatant. "Shef adds that" informatory  and advertisement films produced by those, are being broadcasted by two of the Israeli television channels, and when these films are accompanied by photographs of Israel funeral processions, then there is no greater success for Hezbollah to achieve. The Israeli press is highlighting the Israeli state of weakness, together with the failure and nonfeasance of the Israeli forces, through assuring those combatants fortitude against Israel".10

 

The Islamic Resistance Managed to impose – at the military level – a new informative actuality, which the Israeli would have never accepted, had it not been for his feeling of despair and frustration. He (the Israeli) has become confident of his inability to defeat Hezbollah's combatants. This is what the strategic commentator (zaif Shef) meant when he wrote in "Haaretz Newspaper" an 29/12/1998, admitting that the heavy burden falling on Israel in view of the Israeli army's failure to put an end to the war against Hezbollah, has created a new strategic situation, which by itself forms a heavy political and military burden and has limited the ability to take decisions that are related to protection of the northern borders and the settlements there.

 

Because of the tight psychological link between the military and the social levels inside the Israeli societal structure, it became natural that the state of despair and frustration which soldiers were living would infiltrate the societal milieu from which those soldiers come. This state and that frustration effectively contributed to re – formation of the image of Hezbollah, which represents the source of fear and frustration. That was what made Joel Marcos (a journalist in Haaretz newspaper) wrote on 20/03/1999: "It is obvious now that we have no chance to win the guerrilla war that is taking place South Lebanon".11

 

The long years of confrontation between Hezbollah and the Israeli army (particularly during the last five years) has intensified the Israeli public's augmenting feeling that Hezbollah's combatants are counterpart to the Israeli army. This testimonial – from a relative angle – means recognition of Hezbollah's ability, despite the military disparity therein between, Thus, the question of "inability to come off with flying colors" has become incontestable for the Israeli public opinion, and the most important question became: "How come we bring back our sons safe from the grip of Hezbollah?"

 

o        Informational Presence

 

Here we must stop to have a look at the significant influence of information on the Israeli public, particularly because information in Israel has a distinctive bearing on building tendencies and trends, and has the ability to re – produce those tendencies and trends. It is natural then for information to have its special finger prints on re– produce those tendencies and trends. It is natural then for information to have its special finger prints on re–formation of the features of the image of "the other".

 

Since Hezbollah had often been the "daily happening" and a part of the elements that influence the public opinion in Israel, therefore, it was quite unobjectionable that it occupies a vast area on the pages of that information during the era between the Israeli defeat in Lebanon (May 2000) and the fourth anniversary of that defeat (May 2004). During this era Hezbollah (as a piece of news or as an analytic article) occupied a little more than 30% of the total number of weekly papers published during the mentioned era. In other words, among every three weekly issues published by the leading news papers, one of them should include something about Hezbollah.

 

On reviewing the informational presence of "Hezbollah" inside Israel during the above mentioned period, we notice that concentration had always been on all that is related the "security level" which effects the Israeli society, whether by direct action from Hezbollah (such as operations in Sheba Farms) or by an action which has indirect consequences (such as smuggling weapons to Palestine), and that is why the main headings centralized on the following subjects:

·         Capturing of the three soldiers in Sheba Farms.

·         Capturing of the Israeli colonel (El Hanan Teninbaum).

·         Exchange of captives operation.

·         Hezbollah's role in the Intifada (supplying arms, carrying out operations, recruitment and enlistment of individuals).

·         Impact and bearings of Hezbollah on the Israeli strategic status (in peace and in war).

·         In general, it is deducible that Hezbollah's informational presence in abiding in the Israeli press (whether at the leadership level or at the level of the public), and this by itself proves that Hezbollah's image is always present in the Israeli's consciousness, even with matters which Hezbollah has no relation with.

 

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Stereotypical expressions for the Image of Hezbollah in the "Israeli mind"

 

o        Paradoxical descriptions… from a ferocious enemy to a wise party

 

It may not be strange when Hezbollah's descriptions disharmonize in the Israeli address. This is attributable to the two following reasons:

A – The first is the relatively important area which is occupied by "freedom of opinion" in Israel (particularly in the Jewish milieu).

B – The second is the source of this address, whereas the disparity in expression and in the "presented image" between what the military and political leaderships emanate (their address being part of the war they wage against Hezbollah) and what is given forth that war – (some researchers and some study and research centers), who often pursue the route of subjectivity in presenting the "enemy's image "on belief that is worthier.

Here rises the difference in the look at, and the description of Hezbollah, whereas the military leadership cares for the image it had created for Hezbollah (the image that shows "Hezbollah as a ferocious enemy")12, and so does the political leadership, which considers Hezbollah nothing "but a branch of the terrorism tree"13..

 Hence, "Hezbollah becomes a terrorist organization and a continual threat to the State of Israel and to regional and international peace"14, while "Hezbollah's local leaders become (in the eyes of that political leadership) part of the International Mafia which dominates the drugs market in the north of Israel"15.

 

But, leaving the "direct circle" of the battle, we notice that representational approaches to "the image" become more objective, particularly when released by "research bodies", that are supposed to adhere to "scientific neutrality" which is a must for the academic systematicness of those studies.

 

Despite unity and sameness of background, the mechanisms of image presentation necessitate implementation of different tools, and consequently, Hezbollah's image becomes more "truth touching", while Hezbollah (according to one researcher) becomes "a good institution and a deep – rooted organization, supported by the Shiite sect"16.

 

Another researcher moves to a clearer detail, presenting Hezbollah's "a plan", where he says: "This plan (i.e. Hezbollah) includes an organized ideology, a secret clandestine structural work, combatant theories, intensified training, storage of big quantities of armament, wize political steps, systematic studies of the enemy's weakpoints, a strong and firm Iranian support and a great deal of patience and forbearance"17.

Hence, every thing related to Hezbollah becomes focus of positive appreciation and laudation, like saying that "from the military stand point, Hezbollah has succeeded in establishing itself as a considerable power along the northern outskirts of the State of Israel"18.

 

Relating to delineation of the first indications of Hezbollah's existence, the military and political leaderships felt themselves unconcerned with presentation of that image or with giving expression thereto, especially with the growth of the feeling that occupation of South Lebanon is behind existence and persistence of Hezbollah. This renders the Israeli Army and political leadership there of responsible for that, the thing that made them more desirous to obliterate those "first indications", in an attempt to avoid being considered guilty by the Israeli public. The only exception is when that "image" serves the political purpose this leadership seeks, as had happened with "Ehud Barak" in justifying his "strategic decision" to withdraw the Israeli army from South Lebanon, where he says: "We ought to remind that Hezbollah organization originated from the continual stay of Israel in Lebanon"19.

 

On the other hand, most researchers – specialized in the Lebanese affairs – tried to adhere to precision and accuracy, by attributing the rise of Hezbollah to its correlation with its Jihadi Islamic identity, where a group of Shiite believers was looking for its own organizational frame. With the disappearance of Sayed Moussa Al Sader and under the wing of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, and in light of the Israeli invasion to Lebanon, those people founded Hezbollah that commenced its activities in the beginning of 198320. "Precisely speaking, and stressing its Lebanese birth and identity", two Middle Eastern major incidents were behind putting Hezbollah on its own route. The first is the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the second is the Israeli invasion to Lebanon in June 1982, though the rise of this organization is the out come of a pure Lebanese milieu"21.

 

 

o        Ideological Solidity and Organizational Flexibility

 

Despite the "relatively accepted" approach via which the image of Hezbollah was presented to the Israeli public opinion, the ideology – accepted by Israel – remains dominant. Here, some "objective standards" vary, in line with two basic matters: The first is browbeating the Israeli circles by presenting Hezbollah as an existential threat to the Jewish society, and the second is browbeating the Lebanese circles, being highly sensitive to the idea of an Islamic Republic, but acknowledging the ability of Hezbollah to accommodate its ideology to any objective requirements necessitated by the arena with in which Hezbollah moves.

Furthermore, this relatively accepted approach sends – to the Israeli society – a message, hinting that "Hezbollah does not at any cost intend to stop war against Israel because this war is the real warrant for its existence as it works according to an Iranian ideology that calls for destroying Israel"22.

 

"The truth is that there is no difference between Hezbollah and any of the Lebanese movements that are of Arabian ideologies, other than its Islamic basis"23. In the same direction, Hezbollah highlights its identity as a legal political Lebanese party and gives emphasis to its role as a Jihadi organization that martyrizes in the name of god"24.

Despite the conceptual conformity and organic relation between Hezbollah and Iran, "yet, this does not mean at all that Hezbollah lives a stalemate of identity, because it looks at itself as a Lebanese organization in every sense of the word".25

The other remaining point – according to the Israeli observer as well – is that Hezbollah's flexibility and developmental ability are not limited to organizational matters or to the level of relations with other factional and political Lebanese parties, but it rather extends to regional and international presence. Hezbollah today is quite different from what it was in the mid 80's, and though this organization had opened the gates of hell when it detonated a French target, yet, the leader of this organization attends today a conference in which the French president is an honor guest"26. This by itself is an indication of Hezbollah's international acceptability which arises from the flexible nature of policies adopted by this "Iron organization" that make "the European union refuses to consider Hezbollah an international terrorist organization"27.

 

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o        The Combatant, the Defender… and the Triumphant

 

No doubt the enemy's recognition of Hezbollah's capability is a matter that deserves to stop temporarily thereat and try to comprehend the details thereof, especially when these details are uncovered by an enemy who considers that there is no ability or capability that matches his own. From here arises the importance of admitting that "the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon is a great achievement of Hezbollah's, and that nobody can scale down this achievement, remembering that during the 90's Hezbollah organization was the only power – in all Arab countries – that vowed to carry out an armed resistance against Israel"28. This – according to Israel – was positively reflected on Hezbollah's special prestige and helped as well in the re– formation of Hezbollah's image in the mind of the Israeli public. This new image is far from demagogy, underdevelopment and cultural poorness. Hezbollah's actions have become more or less Linked to special noble and humanitarian meanings, where as "Hezbollah's combatants strongly believe that their incessant determination and resolution on the one hand, and the unwillingness of the Israeli society to fight on foreign land on the other hand, is what is going to bring up victory"29.

 

"Thus, Hezbollah became an important element with true deterrent capabilities, and a regional player which Israel has to count the cost thereof. Consequently, Lebanon's standing changed – all at once – in facing Israel"30, and at the same time, the Israeli does not conceal the bitterness of this situation which had forced Israel – more than once – to retreat in front of the equations forced on the ground by Hezbollah.

 

"Therefore, most of the Israeli leaders, thinkers and researchers expect that this image of Hezbollah's will remain apparent in front of them, and will have its continual and strong presence in all their strategic matters"31, and "this is one of the image trans figurations imposed by Hezbollah on the Israeli conscious ness"32.

"Hezbollah has managed to take root in the heart of the Lebanese society in general and the Shiite society in particular, through the relations it managed to knit and through friendships and alliances it managed to build, particularly via services it furnished white the state – most of the time – stood unable to do so. Such services included kindergartens, collecting garbage and health care activities. Furthermore, Hezbollah's arch activities included formal religious opinions (Fatwa) for martyrdom operations are being carried out by Shiite youths. This is the reason which – according to the Israeli view point – encourages even the non – Shiite citizen to change into a firm supporter of Hezbollah, especially when this citizen discovers – time after time – that the Lebanese government does not bother about him, while Hezbollah is really concerned about him"33.

 

The image of Hezbollah is not confined to serviceability thereof; it in fact extends to its high combative skills, which the Israeli can not regard as traditional capabilities of an organizational party. Yet, a more important feature of that image is the mass face thereof. Based on the fact that power conduces to tranquility and encourages others to do what they never thought of dowing, people became more concerned with assembling round Hezbollah, incited by their belief that defending Hezbollah is part of defending themselves.

 

"In the heyday of the stalemate between Israel and Lebanon over the Lebanese government decision to pump water from "Wazzani River", a questionnaire showed that 91% of those interviewed refuse the cease of Hezbollah's operations in "Sheba Farms" areas before the Israeli withdrawal there from. This proves that the over whelming majority of the Lebanese people refuses to view Hezbollah as a terrorist organization"34.

 

It is eye – catching that this (internal – public) dimension of Hezbollah's image – as per the enemy's attestation and indulgence of the Lebanese societal particularities, and due to its exceptional capability to accede to the various demands required by containment operation of the different temperaments, where as "The local public opinion is an important dimension which Hezbollah has always regarded – whether before or after the Israeli withdrawal – and this as it seems is the basic reason behind Hezbollah's adherence to present itself – in Lebanon – as a major defender of the national interest"35.

 

 

·         The Cipher – Word, "Jerusalem"…

 

One of the strongest images imposed by Hizbullah on the Israeli mind is that which was formed with the outset of the "Al Aqsa Intifada" in September 2000, which concurred with the sweeping victory achieved by Hezbollah in the Lebanese South. This led to the belief that the relation between "The Intifada" and "Hezbollah's Jihad is part of the axiomatic matters adopted by the Israeli mind.

 

This new trend in the "Israeli consciousness" which draws upon correlating between The Intifada and Hezbollah gave to the image of the latter a further dimension that lifted it from the level of a "combative enemy" to the level of "existential level of a "combative enemy" to the level of "existential danger", due to Hezbollah's developments taking place in the backyard of the Israeli society.

 

Historically speaking, Jewish groups were characterized by conspicuous disorder in their psychological composition, which appeared in their "detestable behavior" that was reflected on the "Jew's" relation with the "dissimilar other".

This Jewish chauvinism – consolidated by the superiority complex – led to the adherence of "power terminology" to the Israeli social and military structure so far that one of the Israeli Army watchwords became "the undefeatable army. This perception made it difficult for the Israeli mind to accept "the defeat of the undefeatable army" in Lebanon, on the hands of a small group (Hezbollah) in a small country (Lebanon) of which Moshe Dayan had repeatedly stated that he would send "the Israeli Army orchestra" alone to conquer it…

 

  The shock of this rout pushed the internal components of the Israeli society (leadership and individuals) to resort to psychological compensation operations through continual efforts to re – produce an image that involves two basic elements:

A – Contention: by stressing that the defeat was neither on the hands of Hezbollah, nor through the distinguished capabilities and efforts thereof.

B – Exaggeration: by rendering Hezbollah Just a spear head for countries and armies that were fighting Israel thereby.

 

In this manner the military leadership re – knitted parts of Hezbollah's image, where as the Israeli war minister (Shaul Mufaz) considers Hezbollah's activities nothing but an embodiment of the Iranian intervention in Lebanon against Israel, while the Chief of Military Investigation Bureau considers that the Northern Front is a Military front for a united group against Israel, made up of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah36.

 

Yet, an ex – Mossad leader (Afraem Halifi) goes further than that and presents Hezbollah as "a mere employee, who serves the Syrians and the Iranians"37.

 

As for writers and thinkers, Hezbollah turns into a tool in the hands of others: Al Sayed Hassan Nassrallah and his men are the Iranians matchstick that can ignite the slow-match and undermine stability, where as Bashar Al Assad grants Hezbollah freedom of action, being the only bargaining paper which Syria owns in its negotiations with Israel…"38

 

But, the sizable and considerable image within the frame of which some tried to place Hezbollah, is that which places Hezbollah on the list of countries which the American President (G. Bush) described as "the heart of evil", and which consisted of North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Hezbollah. So, Hezbollah joins "the regional countries club" in realizing a psychological need that requires "enlargement and magnification" of the enemy.

 

It is no secret to say that this "enlargement" and that "magnification" is useful at the level of "psychological support" of the Israeli public, but alternatively is harmful to Hezbollah's nationalistic image as is locally looked at (by the Lebanese public) and internationally seen (by Arab and Moslem countries).

 

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·         The Man Who became "Fabulous"

 

"It was clear from all objective writings and researches and even informational reports and analyses, published by the Israeli, that "Al Sayed Hassan Nasrallah" was able to book himself – and what he represents – a special standing in the Israeli public conscience. This standing was wrapped in great respect and credibility, not because of the transparency which some may think that the "Israeli Jews" may enjoy, but because "Al Sayed Hassan" himself imposed this thereon. "Al Sayed" then – in the Israeli collective mind – is the one who achieved victory over, and brought shame to the State of Israel, and "Al Sayed Hassan" as well is the first Arab to achieve an unconditioned withdrawal from the occupied territories. Furthermore, Al Sayed Hassan has turned into a mythological personality which Israel shall have to face for quite a long period"39.

 

The picture of that lady (a Jewish settler), sitting on the door – sill of her house in "Keryat Shmona", which was published on the front page of "Yediot Ahranot" daily newspaper is unforgettable. She said: "believe (Al Sayed) Nassrallah more than the Israeli government…" This was her reply to the correspondent who had asked her: "Don't you want to get down to the shelter after the Army had declared the state of emergency?"

 

The settler insisted to remain there until (Al Sayed) tells the settlers to do so… The reply of this Jewish settler represents a sample of the image of the personality of Hezbollah's General Secretary (Al Sayed Hassan Nassrallah). The particles of this image accumulated on account of several factors, the components of which gathered bit after bit throughout the long years of confrontation with Israel. Led by Al Sayed Hassan.

 

Thus, the Israeli's problem became "Al Sayed", his battle is against "Al Sayed" and his soldiers anticipated confrontation will be against "Al Sayed" as well…

 

"Last but not least, the image of Al Sayed Hassan remains one of the most vigorous images (being part of Hezbollah's image if not the entire image itself) that are perpetually present in the "Israeli vision", whether at the level of credibility or at the level of "insomnia" which this "vision" causes to noted Zionist leaders, or even at the level of being one of the very few Arab leaders who fully follow the Israeli affairs and are keen to read translations of Hebraic news papers every morning…"40 and may be at all these levels attogether.

 

Yet, for sure, it is the image of "Al Sayed Hassan Nassrallah" – which the Israeli admits presence there of in his mind and perception – is that "mythical image that draws the feature of "a chief" whose influence and impression will remain for generations and generations to come"41.