Publication

This brief examines the diminishing support of civil society in Lebanon and Palestine for the violent activities of Hezbollah and Hamas. The author argues that, since the onset of the Arab Spring, these two movements have lost much of their legitimacy. By evaluating discourse on social networks in Palestine and Lebanon, he then finds that the violent approach is no longer seen as an effective means of realizing social, economic and national aspirations. Furthermore, he contends that without reform of their policies, Hezbollah and Hamas will likely collapse.