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On November 12, Al-Khandiq, a news website linked to the Lebanese Hizbullah, posted a video on its Telegram[1] channel that featured a song glorifying Hizbullah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. The video follows his speech on the group's "Martyr's Day" in which he reiterated his support for Hamas and highlighted Hizbullah's participation in the war.[2]
Nasrallah faced harsh criticism by anti-Hizbullah Arab social media users who shared posts ridiculing his speech and Hizbullah's claimed attacks against Israel.
For example, one user posted on X (formerly Twitter) a cartoon suggesting that Hizbullah was using children as human shields.
Glorifying Nasrallah As "The Kindest"
The video featured a song, titled "The Kindest Among All People," which lasted four-minutes. Text stated that the lyrics were composed by Nasrallah's son, Jawad. The video features exclusive images of Nasrallah preparing for a speech, including combing his beard, drinking a glass of water, kissing the Quran, and smiling at the cameras.
Gathering Support For Nasrallah's Leadership
The video shows different segments of Hizbullah supporters, from elderly men and women gathering around radio and TV sets to listen to Nasrallah's speech, to children holding posters depicting his image, expressing their support of his leadership.
English Subtitles Accompany The Arabic-Language Song
In an attempt to familiarize Nasrallah to foreign audiences, the video featured English subtitles to translate the lyrics, which were in modern standard Arabic.
The song attempts to portray Nasrallah as a leader who enjoys the full support of Lebanese people.
Addressing Nasrallah, the lyrics read:
"If my fate were up to me, I'd give you my life willingly. All my though and all my poems, could never be enough to put into words the way I feel, to express my loyalty, O kindest one of people. O the melody of my soul, o my heart [please] convey to my father my secret. And to him proclaim that my heart does cherish, my soul adores his pure-white heart."
[1] Telegram, November 12, 2023.
[2] See MEMRI JTTM report, Hizbullah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Praises Hamas Attack As Parallel To 1982 Tyre Suicide Operation In South Lebanon; Claims To Have Sent Drones Into North Israel, November 11, 2023.
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