The Hezbollah-led Axis of Resistance continues to claim “victory” despite growing evidence of significant losses in its recent conflict with Israel. This narrative, anchored in a dichotomy of total victory or extinction, fails to reconcile the harsh realities on the ground with its grandiose slogans and promises.
A Tradition of Declaration of Victory
For decades, Hezbollah has weaved a narrative of triumph, presenting past confrontations in 2000 and 2006 as epic victories over Israel. The party's leaders, including its Secretary General Naim Qassem, argue that survival itself equates to success. This belief underscores a deep-rooted fear of extinction that motivates the Axis of Resistance's message, especially in the wake of unfulfilled goals like the liberation of Palestine or the cleansing of Israeli prisons.
Since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the Axis of Resistance has modified its discourse, presenting Israel as fragile and its survival as improbable. Yet the realities on the ground tell a different story, with military setbacks and unachieved goals overshadowing supposed victories.
A Narrow View of Victory and Defeat
The insistence on framing conflict in absolute terms—total victory or total defeat—reveals a worldview that reduces life to a binary struggle. For the Axis of Resistance, victory is not about progress, prosperity, or even true liberation, but simply survival. Conversely, defeat is tantamount to existential annihilation, leaving no room for reflection, growth, or acknowledgment of mistakes.
This reductive view ignores the complexities of war and life itself, replacing nuanced realities with simplistic triumphalist assertions. As military clashes cease, insistence on “victory” often relies on out-of-context statements and selective interpretations of events.
Contradictions in the Approach of the Axis of Resistance
Contrary to their declarations of victory, the actions of the Axis of Resistance suggest anything but confidence. From public unrest to the demonization of critics, their post-conflict behavior reveals an underlying insecurity. True victors, as history shows, do not lash out in despair or deny obvious losses—they embrace reality and adapt.
The consequences of the conflict leave the Resistance Axis isolated, not only geopolitically but also ideologically. His emphasis on weapons and confrontation rather than broader human aspirations alienates him from the cycle of wealth and the complexities of life.
A call for an honest assessment
While Israel, with its militaristic strategies, remains a polarizing and often ruthless actor, the Axis of Resistance's inability to evolve beyond a simplistic narrative of victory versus defeat undermines its credibility. Reducing every conflict to an existential struggle diminishes one's ability to achieve meaningful progress or achieve liberation.
The world is more than a battlefield of victories and defeats. True strength lies in confronting realities, learning from setbacks, and pursuing goals beyond the binary confines of war.
