The clip went viral across Lebanese and Gulf social media within hours, with commentators noting that it was one of the rare moments in which a Hezbollah official was forced to confront an Israeli spokesperson directly — and live — without the ability to control the narrative.
By Hezy Laing
The confrontation took place on the Lebanese call‑in political program “Sawt al‑Shaab” on Al‑Jadeed TV, one of Lebanon’s most widely watched networks. The show frequently hosts members of parliament, analysts, and callers from across the region.
On this particular broadcast, the guest was Hussein al‑Hajj Hassan, a senior Hezbollah lawmaker and long‑time member of the Lebanese Parliament’s Telecommunications and Agriculture Committees.
During the program, the host opened the phone lines to regional callers. One caller introduced himself as “Avi from Jerusalem,” speaking fluent Arabic. The host, unaware of the caller’s identity, allowed him to continue.
Moments later, the caller revealed himself to be Lt. Col. (res.) Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic‑language spokesman, known across the Arab world for his high‑profile media presence and his millions of followers on social media.
Adraee immediately challenged al‑Hajj Hassan on Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon’s economic collapse, citing World Bank data showing a GDP contraction of more than 40 percent since 2018 and referencing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which Hezbollah is accused of violating through its continued military entrenchment in southern Lebanon.
Caught off guard, al‑Hajj Hassan attempted to interrupt, accusing Adraee of “propaganda,” but the host insisted he respond.
Adraee pressed further, quoting statements from Lebanese Central Bank reports, asking why Hezbollah continued to operate independent telecommunications networks and armed units outside state control.
The exchange grew tense as Adraee cited Hezbollah’s responsibility for drawing Lebanon into cross‑border clashes, referencing casualty figures published by the Lebanese Health Ministry and damage assessments from UNIFIL.
Al‑Hajj Hassan, visibly frustrated, accused the station of ambushing him and threatened to leave the broadcast.
After several minutes of debate over Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon’s economic collapse, Adraee shifted the discussion to Hezbollah’s military legacy.
He asked the lawmaker, Hussein al‑Hajj Hassan, why Hezbollah continued to justify its armed presence by invoking “historic victories” that, according to Adraee, were exaggerated or distorted.
Adraee then referenced the Beaufort (Qalaat al‑Shaqif) — the medieval fortress in southern Lebanon that became a symbol of Hezbollah’s early propaganda after Israel withdrew from the site in May 2000.
He reminded viewers that the Beaufort had been held by the IDF’s Golani Brigade and Engineering Corps for years, and that Hezbollah’s claim of “liberating” it was contradicted by Israeli and UN records showing that the IDF had already evacuated the position before Hezbollah fighters arrived.
This point visibly irritated al‑Hajj Hassan, because the Beaufort is central to Hezbollah’s founding mythology. Adraee pressed further, citing statements by former Hezbollah commander Nabil Qaouk, who had previously admitted that Hezbollah entered the Beaufort only after Israeli forces had withdrawn.
Adraee used this to argue that Hezbollah’s narrative of “resistance victories” was built on symbolic storytelling rather than battlefield achievements.
The host attempted to steer the conversation back to domestic issues, but the exchange had already struck a nerve.
Al‑Hajj Hassan accused Adraee of “insulting the resistance,” while Adraee countered that Hezbollah had “built an empire of lies” around sites like the Beaufort to justify maintaining an armed militia outside the Lebanese state.
