HEZBOLLAH ‒ BETWEEN MYTH AND REALITY

Hezbollah (Allah’s Party) is a non-state actor that has a decisive influence on how political and security dynamics in Lebanon evolve but also manages to have an important impact on the evolution of the entire security complex in the Middle East. However, in order to understand the behavior of this actor, we must understand its main ideological landmarks. Thus, the research question which formed the basis of this study is: How the ideology assumed by Hezbollah leaders influenced the behavior of the organization? Through this study we aim to highlight the historical context of Lebanon during the ‘80s, as well as make an analysis of the main factors that determined the materialization of the Hezbollah organization; to understand Hezbollah’s main ideological pillars and how they influence the organization’s goals and actions; to examine how Hezbollah and Western states perceive each other; and to present the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah from the perspective of the motivations and interests that decision-makers in Teheran have in relation to the growth of their area on influence in the Middle East.