Hezbollah Decapitated? The War with Israel and Lebanon’s Future
David Makovsky is joined by Matt Levitt and Hanin Ghaddar to discuss Hezbollah’s leadership losses, Israel’s strategic moves, and what’s next for the region.
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The past few weeks have been some of the most pivotal in Israel’s modern history with Lebanon. Recently, Israeli intelligence and operational successes have delivered devastating blows to Hezbollah’s leadership, decapitating its senior command, including the infamous Hassan Nasrallah. With thousands displaced across Northern Israel and Lebanon due to the conflict, tensions have never been higher.
In this episode, David Makovsky is joined by two leading experts: Hanin Ghaddar and Matt Levitt. Hanin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, has written extensively on Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon’s political system and Iran’s growing influence in the region. Matt Levitt is the director of the counterterrorism and intelligence program at the Washington Institute. He has held key roles in the U.S. government, including deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He recently published a new version of his book Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party of God. Together, they will explore the internal dynamics within Lebanon amidst this crisis, what this moment means for the future of Hezbollah, and the strategic and operational factors that underpin these developments.
Decision Points is a Washington Institute podcast on key moments in Israel’s history and present. The first season focused on the history of U.S.-Israel relations, the second season examined key Israeli and Arab leaders, the third season explored Israel’s contemporary policy dilemmas, and the fourth season highlighted books essential to understanding Zionism and U.S.-Israel relations. Season 5 of the podcast dives into the Gaza war and explores the long-term implications for Israel, U.S.-Israel relations, and the Middle East. In each episode, distinguished scholars, analysts, journalists, and officials will put the current conflict in perspective and discuss the road ahead.
The host, David Makovsky, is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Director of its Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations. He is a former senior advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, as well as a sought-after expert on U.S.-Israel diplomatic relations and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Decision Points is both a history lesson and an exploration of contemporary policy decisions impacting Israel, the United States, and the broader Middle East.
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