They wanted Lebanon to fit their vision Lebanon proved bigger than it

Two years since Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination. Israel did not need to kill him for Lebanese people to disagree with him, and rejecting his project did not mean waiting for an Israeli missile to end his life. The disagreement with him was, above all, about the kind of Lebanon we want and who has the right to decide its fate.

Over decades, Hezbollah, its weapons, and its choices grew so powerful that, at times, the country seemed expected to adapt to them, rather than the other way around. Lebanon was drawn into wars, strategic calculations, and regional conflicts, while one question remained unanswered: Shouldn’t Lebanese people themselves decide when their country goes to war and when it makes peace?

Nasrallah was assassinated, but his assassination did not make his project right. Nor does disagreeing with him make his killing a victory.

Two years on, perhaps the anniversary comes down to a truth simpler than any speech: a man can define an entire era, and a project can overshadow a country for years. But no man is Lebanon, and his project is not its destiny.

Lebanon was bigger. It will remain so.