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About

Afkār is a publication of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, providing short-form analyses, insights, and perspectives on regional issues and developments from the Council's experts and outside contributors. Afkār is published in English and Arabic, and is edited by Omar H. Rahman.

Contact us at afkar@mecouncil.org.

Joseph Daher

Political Economist

Bio

Joseph Daher is an academic and expert on the political economy of the Middle East. He holds a PhD in development studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (2015), and a PhD in political science from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland (2018). He has taught at several universities, including the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and the University of Ghent, Belgium. He is the author of several books, including “Hezbollah: The Political Economy of Lebanon’s Party of God” (2016).

Articles

Can Lebanon Disarm Hezbollah Without First Rebuilding the State?

Lebanon’s externally driven push to disarm Hezbollah reveals a deeper crisis of sovereignty, as the state lacks the legitimacy, institutional capacity, and public trust necessary to reclaim monopoly over force without risking deeper instability and communal backlash.