The Impact of the War on Arab Security Concepts

The Arab street has for the most part heralded the results of the fighting in Lebanon as a Hizbollah victory. The prevalent Arab narrative is that for several weeks a small military organization with a few thousand fighters, without an air force or tanks, displayed determination and the ability to realize its potential, and thus withstood the might of the army that is considered to be the strongest in the Middle East. It may be assumed that the Arab defense establishments and other regional elements examined the progress and results of the fighting, and scrutinized the strengths and weaknesses shown by Israel and Hizbollah. It is not yet clear what conclusions they have drawn, and whether the confrontation in Lebanon will impact on Arab security concepts and if so, how. Certainly, the process of internalizing the significance of the war in Lebanon by the Arab security systems and translating this into specific practical results – if this occurs at all – will take time.