To understand how we got to Lebanon being sanctioned we need to look back it’s history. Lebanon, a small Mediterranean country to the North of Palestine has had a trouble past. From the internal political conflicts to foreign interference and a brutal civil war. The worst of these was the Israli occupation of southern Lebanon from early 1980s to 2000. On the 25th May, 2000 Israli withdrew its security forces   from southern Lebanon and many displaced Lebanese (who had been forced out of their homes) were able to return to their homes. However southern Lebanon wasn’t liberated by the Lebanese army, it was liberated by a military resistance group formed out of necessity (of military resistance to occupation). “Hezbollah” formed in 1982 was the brain child of the Amal Movement, a directive for political unity between Lebanese of different ethnicities(both Christian and Muslim) started a politically active religious cleric Imam Musa Sadr who was one of the most important people in Lebanon’s history. Although Hezbollah is an “islamic” resistance group, it has secular battalions too, who do not receive the ideological training the Muslim members would normally receive. The organisation is revered by all those who suffered through Isra*li occupation (again muslims and christians alike - maybe attach a picture of the old christian lady with a pic of SG on her Christmas tree). It was formed to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves and today it helps feed those who can’t feed themselves (through charities and social institutions -e.g cheese making workshops) due to the deteriorating  conditions in the country.

The aggression against Lebanon didn’t stop in 2000. In 2006 there was another war between Isral and Hezbollah.The blame is put on the resistance group for starting the war that had such a high human cost but leaked documents from Wikileaks showed that Isral was planning an invasion of lebanon a few months after July. So in effect it was stopped in its tracks and caught unprepared ; defeated and humiliated once again. The war lasted from July to August, around 33 days.

Hezbollah went from a militia to political party to protect the ones who supported it. With time its original aims required it to be active in the political arena. In the last election it won a large majority, however due to foreign influence on Lebanese  politics government is still formed based on sectarian quotas.