Israel Won This War?

Behold the army of newborn Nasrallahs

CAROLYNNE WHEELER
QALQILYA, West Bank — He's three days old, just 6½ pounds and from the look of his sleepy eyes and screwed-up mouth, he's far more interested in his next meal than in hearing about the high expectations attached to his name.

But by the time baby Nasrallah Mohammed Daoud is old enough to understand his moniker, he'll no doubt have plenty of contemporaries. After the bloody conflict in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is gaining thousands of fans, and dozens of tiny namesakes, in the Palestinian territories.

“We dreamed of the name, and then we had the baby two weeks later,” mother Lubna Anturi said. “We love Nasrallah because we live an intifada and we are always seeking someone to help us. He has boosted our morale.”

In Lebanon, Mr. Nasrallah's popularity is greater than ever. While some Lebanese blame him for triggering the conflict by kidnapping two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12, others have gained new respect for Hezbollah and the way the militants fought off the powerful Israeli army.
And in the West Bank and Gaza, the idea of somebody — anybody — who is able to fight sustained battles against the Israeli army and inflict dozens of casualties is the subject of great celebration.

Never mind that two of his rockets nearly hit the West Bank city of Jenin. With his portrait now gracing stores in the West Bank, Hezbollah flags on sale in Gaza City and radio songs singing his praises, Mr. Nasrallah has become a new Palestinian hero.

At Ms. Anturi's home, her sister and her nieces join her in breaking into song and clap their hands in rhythm at the mention of a tune now making the rounds of radio stations and weddings, the title of which translates roughly as We Hail Thee, Hope of Lebanon.

The latest craze to hit the Palestinian airwaves originated with four brothers in the northern West Bank town of Yamoun, near Jenin. In a visit to the family home yesterday, the group had just enough time to sit for tea and play a quick rendition of their song before dashing off to the recording studio to cut their next single: We Are Victorious With the Help of God.

“We have nothing except singing. It gave a push to Palestinians to support the Lebanese. We are occupied people. We are suffering like them, and now they are suffering like us,” said the song's writer, Alaeddin Abu Hayja, 28, who penned the tune about 10 days into the conflict and recorded it soon afterward.

“Now, after this song, everybody is asking for us. Usually we perform often, but now we are in great demand.”

His brother and fellow musician, Noureddin, 24, said the song also represents the unity of the Palestinian and Lebanese people. “We consider this a victory even before we consider it a war, that's how I see it. It is a step towards getting rid of a humiliation.”

Western governments, including Canada's, may consider his movement a terrorist group, but the war has only heightened Mr. Nasrallah's appeal. And despite the bushy beard and black robes, academics say he has emerged as more than just a religious leader.

“His statements were comprehensive, covering all dimensions — low-key, no boasting; humble, honest, clear; and never quoted the Prophet or the Koran,” said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, a political scientist who heads the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs.

“This man is not like Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas leader in Damascus, or Haniyeh in Gaza, or Zarqawi or bin Laden or any of these people. He came across as a political figure.”

And what's more, Mr. Abdul Hadi said, unlike most Arab leaders, he has followed through on his promises, and looked like a statesman for building consensus among Arab countries to help end the conflict.

“Everything he said, he did. He did not lie, he did not cheat, he said what he could do and what he could not do,” he said. “He played it professionally.”

On the street, the analysis is less complicated. Mr. Nasrallah is seen by many as the next great leader in the Arab world, the only one in decades who has been able to deliver what they see as a victory.

“[Nasrallah] is a hero, and I hope God will always make him victorious. He made us hold our heads high,” said Khalil Freihat, 24, taking a cigarette break on a street corner in Yamoun.

“The main lesson that we have to learn from Hezbollah is not to surrender our rights. We cannot surrender, we must fight.”

Original article posted here.