You should probably post this in a politics-focused community. Technically non-US politics are okay according to the rules, but I still don't think this is the place for this. That said I completely reject "terrorist" and "terrorist organization" as labels, so while I don't know who that is they should be raise even an ISIS (or worse, Israeli) flag if they want to.
this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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Hezbollah has killed far more Arabs than they ever damaged Israel. Without Hezbollah Assad would have lost in Syria years ago. They have also turned Lebanon into a failed state for decades.
Hezbollah are horrible all around. They are ineffective at fighting Israel and great at killing Arabs.
Any sources for me to learn more about this? Not doubting but also curious.
You can start reading Wikipedia.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13537121.2025.2495417
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/10/hezbollah-war-against-syria/680212/
https://www.mei.edu/publications/hezbollah-and-syrian-conflict
Many Arabs celebrated when Israel killed Nasrallah. https://www.newsweek.com/why-arab-street-celebrating-israels-killing-hezbollah-chief-nasrallah-opinion-1960901
This is great. Appreciate you taking the time. I’m in no state to read these right now, had surgery with a GA today, but I’ve added them to my reading list.
It's ridiculous. And I'm someone talking from a Protestant/Unionist background from Belfast.
Basically, Kneecap has had provocative music which hits at home about distrusting police, burning police vehicles, dressing in PIRA attire. The PIRA is a very real terrorist organisation at home. One could argue that kneecap could be directly or indirectly encouraging terrorist activity at home or inspiring people to follow in the PIRA's footsteps via attitude. They also advocated for killing MPs.
But somehow, the line is crossed when they display a flag of a foreign terrorist organisation halfway across the world.
So the way the law is acting, it's as if Kneecap is more likely to inspire Hezbollah to cause a terrorist attack instead of an Irish dissident at home. Which I think everyone can agree is ridiculous conclusion to make. But that's the conclusion the law has seemed to made. Basically, something is up.
Now, I'm not saying they should be prosecuted for their other material either. I'm just saying that this whole thing doesn't make sense that the line is crossed on a foreign terrorist movement not relevant to us.
Something is up.
The thing that is up is Israeli lobbyists are pushing hard for this.
Edit: GA hit me hard and this made no sense when I read it back so edited.
My thoughts exactly
Makes me want to fly a Hezbollah flag myself.
I get your feeling of injustice, putting them into relation. But flying a Hezbollah flag doesn't change that, and doesn't support your argument. It just supports Hezbollah. You can criticize without supporting the next best worst opposition.
If you want to demonstrate the maximum amount of opposition, with disregard for anything else, it does that. And that may have some effect and value too.
But what's your goal, and who do you want to reach? Who will you push away by flying a flag of a terrorist organisation (looking at what they did, irrelevant why they came to be and act the way they do for now)? Isn't supporting Palestine and Palestinians, demonstrating for their right to exist and live, and against Israel's terror - isn't that just as viable? Isn't that the goal? I don't think there's a need to support Hezbollah or fly their flag for that?
Israel should definitely be held to the same standards, which it currently is not.
Do you not believe that sometime when fighting terrorism (coming from the IDF and settlers) that it stands to reason that you have to so terrible things yourself, lest you just get wiped out.
How would we feel about the Iraqi government locking people up for flying the American or UK flag during our illegal invasion. We could have been labelled as terrorists for those actions.
I’m not saying I’m right here, but I’m incredibly frustrated and on the verge of doing something serious as I don’t know what else to do. I educate my ignorant friends, I protest, I write to my local officials etc.
To a degree, I do. I can understand why it happens, and see opposition as just to some degree. And there is part of the blame on civilian settlers invading too, with ignorance or deliberately. But there is nuance in actions (damaging property vs people, etc), and planning for and handling consequences. The terror evidently caused much more terror and damage to their own side. It did not improve the situation at all.
If you're looking at the situation now, is it more important to support armed defense and opposition, or opposing Isreal in its activities? It's very clear to me.
Supporting Hezbollah doesn't give us anything in this situation. It is damaging in rallying support and in supporting Palestinians and their misery.
I think there is an important lesson to be learned here. The countries we live in came to be through (sometimes armed and violent) protest. They dont change through disagreement but through long lasting and resilient protest.
Another important part: a lot of the people we know today as those who formed our human rights and countries, would ne branded terrorists today. The countries we live in use terror to overwhelm opposition but they call it legitimate. We have police in tanks using chemicals against protesters, killing some.
Its total bullshit and sign of undercomplex understanding of the world to blanket distegard groups because they form armed resistance against oppression. Armed resistance is also covered by international human rights, while the actions of the current aggressor are not.
Did anyone blanket disregard groups in this thread? I don't see it.
We can understand why a group picks up arms, and can even see it as just to a degree, while disagreeing with some of their actions.
Some activities being covered by international human rights doesn't mean all of them are. Raising their flag means supporting all of their actions.
I wrote this to highlight how the term "terror*" is used to smear armed resistance.
Raising a flag in general does not mean you support any and all deeds an organization has done. Another undercomplex take.
For example germany, usa, etc have done unspeakable things, yet we can raise their flag. These double standards are insane. There is no group that - by this standard - would be worthy of flying their flag. Even in the lgbtq and neurodivergence movements there are people who are bad actors. Its is a complete L take.
I'm not saying hamas or whatever group is beyond criticism or even worth considering supporting but I'm saying a very small portion of people speaking about this cab write two paragraphs about these organizations, why and how they were formed and what things they did and what they should be criticized or ousted for.
Another undercomplex take.
I'm pretty sure it's the interpretation most people will conclude to when they see someone wave that flag at a demonstration, though. There's a Palestine flag too. Raising that gives a very different image.
For example germany, usa, etc have done unspeakable things, yet we can raise their flag.
The German "Third Reich" had it's own flag, which is forbidden in Germany. I can see your point, though.
Those are country flags, though, not a country's militia flag. Germany has other Nazi symbols outlawed too.
The reich is not germany. Germany after the third reich has also done unspeakable things. Currently, germany is assisting in genocide which hopefully will lead to german politicians being charged and sentenced for crimes against humanity.
My point was your argument is bogus and flying a flag does not mean aligning with every deed. It shows that you dont understand how public image works.
Painting an organization (or a person) as bad is very easy, same with painting them as good (whitewashing). Flying any flag means sparking discourse and in some cases it means reopening the public case to change the public image.
You have to ask yourself why he didn't simply wave a Palestinian flag? Why did he choose a proscribed terrorist flag? Did he not understand the difference (useful idiot syndrome) or he did and genuinely wanted to promote a terrorist group?
It's the same thing as at a previous concert shouting "Kill your local MP". 🤷
Because it gets attention on the issue? I don’t really know you’d have to ask him.
I don’t care that he did it, I care that people and government are more outraged over this than literal tens of thousands of dead innocents. And that we support genocide as a country.
Furthermore, I’m not sure I feel comfortable calling a resistence group terrorists if we don’t give the IDF the same label.
Are we going to arrest the Brits who went to fight for the IDF.
Because it gets attention on the issue?
Waving a Palestinian flag might have the same attention without the connection with a proscribed terrorist group?
I care that people and government are more outraged over this than literal tens of thousands of dead innocents.
We can do both. The world isn't and shouldn't be a zero sum game. Both should outrage us.
And that we support genocide as a country.
We shouldn't support them. Sickening that so many countries do.
Furthermore, I’m not sure I feel comfortable calling a resistence group terrorists if we don’t give the IDF the same label.
Many do.
Are we going to arrest the Brits who went to fight for the IDF.
Maybe we should.
I prefer the American version of freedom of speech, which places very strict limits on the government's ability to punish speech. Display of any flag in this way would be protected. We're currently seeing that play out with the US president taking various actions against people who have expressed opinions he doesn't like and getting blocked by the courts at every turn.
That said, Hezbolah is bad and Liam O'Hanna is an asshole for supporting them.
I do too.
Are Hezbollah any worse than Israel? I believe we should label Israel a terrorist state. If we don’t do that then I see Hezbollah as a resistance group.
How can you fight oppression if you have to stick to the rules lest you be labelled a terrorist.
I don’t think Liam is an asshole and it’s deplorable that he is held to a higher standard than others. How many brits have gone to Gaza to help the IDF literally kill people, but this guy fly a flag an is charged. Fuck Israeli lobbying for the to happen.
He shouldn't have flown the flag, supporting a terrorist organisation (like hamas, hezbollah or the IDF) is objectively wrong.
There is a double standard though.
GDF has a great video on how the Israeli invasion and civil war led to the creation of Hezbollah as a militant resistance
Thanks.
You might find this interesting as it goes into the hypocrisy of the situation.
You'll probably be better off asking this sort of question in one of the Palestine comms, where you have a more nuanced discussion about how Hezbollah was created, their militant actions against Zionism, part of the Lebanese Parliament, and what the flag can mean to different groups; instead of the thought terminating cliché of 'they are considered a terrorist organization by the government and therefore any support of them in supporting terrorism.' Despite the unconditional support these governments have for Israel, who by any definition of terrorism has done far far more magnitudes of such than any resistance organization created as a by product of the violent settler colonialism of Zionism. Plus, western governments have historically brandished any resistance against colonialism as terrorists, including the IRA, Vietcong, FLN, ANC (Nelson Mandala), and many more.
Hezbollah's actions in Syria are definitely unacceptable, their actions against Israel is another matter entirely
I think we should all be highly alarmed, world citizens who value peace and prosperity, palestinians and jews alike.
Indeed. I kind of feel powerless against this slippery slope.