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Disarm Hezbollah, but don’t let it cash in on Lebanon’s reconstruction

by Patricia Karam, opinion contributor - 11/05/26 12:00 PM ET

by Patricia Karam, opinion contributor - 11/05/26 12:00 PM ET

Ali Daamoush, head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Last month, the State Department set out the terms on which Lebanon can expect help rebuilding after two wars with Israel. “Billions of dollars can be injected into Lebanon,” said spokesperson Tommy Pigott, “but only after Hezbollah’s disarmament.”

While Washington is right to make disarmament a prerequisite, it is wrong to make it the only one.

Lebanon needs the money. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has told parliament that losses from Israel’s wars since 2023 could exceed $27 billion, and the World Bank expects the economy to shrink 6.4 percent this year.…