The Resistance Report Episode 9: The Palestinian Armed Struggle, Israel, and the Rise of Hezbollah

09/08/2025 1h 17min

Listen "The Resistance Report Episode 9: The Palestinian Armed Struggle, Israel, and the Rise of Hezbollah"

Episode Synopsis

In this episode, we trace the turbulent history that links the Palestinian armed struggle, Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and the emergence of Hezbollah as a powerful force in the region. From the PLO’s “state-within-a-state” in southern Lebanon to the devastation of Operation Peace in Galilee and the Sabra and Shatila massacres, we examine how cycles of repression and resistance reshaped the landscape of liberation movements. We explore the social and political conditions of Lebanon’s Shi’ite community, the influence of the Iranian Revolution, and how Hezbollah rose from the ashes of the PLO’s expulsion to become the first guerrilla group to force Israel from occupied territory.TimestampsIntro0:00 – 4:45 — IntroductionDIALECTICS OF REPRESSION & RESISTANCE | Framework for Interpretation4:45 – 14:06 — Overview of the dialectical relationship between colonial repression and anti-colonial resistanceTHE PLO & ISRAEL IN LEBANON | Context for the 1982 Invasion 14:06 – 34:46 — The PLO “State-Within-a-State”— ‘Eretz Israel’ Expansionism and Lebanon— The Sharon Plan— “...NOT OURS TO DESTROY” | Operation Peace in Galilee & PLO ExpulsionHEZBOLLAH FROM THE ASHES OF THE PLO 34:46 – 53:44— The Shi’ites of Southern Lebanon— The Iranian Revolution— The Party of God FormsTHE RESISTANCE IS HEZBOLLAH AND HEZBOLLAH IS THE RESISTANCE 53:44 – 1:13:52— The Resistance Priority & Logic— Breaking Prestige | The Aura of Invincibility Destroyed, 1985–2000— The Second Intifada, 2000–2005— “The Greatest Guerrilla Group in the World”Conclusion1:13:52 – 1:17:16 — Conclusion

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