Attitudes About Nasrallah Appear More Positive in Middle East Since His Death

by · NY Times

Attitudes About Nasrallah Appear More Positive in Middle East Since His Death

Sentiment about the Hezbollah leader shifted after the Israeli strike that killed him, partly reflecting anger toward Israel, according to an analysis.

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Hassan Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years, was a towering figure across the Middle East.
Credit...Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times

By Julian E. Barnes

Reporting from Washington

Public perceptions of Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader who was assassinated by Israel last week, have grown more positive across the Middle East since his death, according to an analysis of social media and other internet posts.

While Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based, is among those countries, opinions of him are more negative there than in the region overall, said Jonathan Teubner, the chief executive of FilterLabs AI, a firm that measures public sentiment in places where polling is difficult to conduct.

FilterLabs has been tracking attitudes about the militia leader. Support for Mr. Nasrallah, a Shiite Muslim, peaked in Sunni Arab countries in mid-September, when Hamas — a Sunni group — released a letter of support for him from its leader, Yahya Sinwar.

According to the analysis, attitudes toward Mr. Nasrallah began returning to their usual levels across the Middle East after the letter but rose again after the Israeli strike that killed him, reflecting anger toward Israel and enthusiasm for Mr. Nasrallah’s support for Palestinians in Gaza.

Sentiment about Mr. Nasrallah was more positive on news media sites in Lebanon after his death. But FilterLabs found that commentators on Lebanese social media also focused on the damage caused by the Israeli strike.

Mr. Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for 32 years, was a towering figure across the Middle East. On Saturday, demonstrators in several countries in the region mourned him and condemned Israel’s strikes. But some communities, including in Lebanon, welcomed his death.

The FilterLabs analysis noted worries among some in Lebanon that Hezbollah had courted a war with Israel, a conflict that has caused civilian casualties and threatens to bring further destruction to Lebanon, including its capital, Beirut.

Mr. Teubner said that in the days since Mr. Nasrallah’s death, many in Lebanon have hailed him as a martyr.

“But Lebanon is more negative overall on Nasrallah than the Arab world more generally because their focus has been on the devastation that has occurred and, in all likelihood, will increase with a ground invasion,” Mr. Teubner said.

On Monday, Israel began what it called a limited incursion into southern Lebanon. U.S. officials said that their Israeli counterparts told them they were not planning a full-scale invasion, but the Biden administration remains worried that the Israeli military might get bogged down and remain in Lebanon longer than it planned.

Iran’s strikes on Tuesday, in retaliation for the killing of Mr. Nasrallah, could further shape attitudes in the days to come.

FilterLabs uses a computer model to analyze huge numbers of online posts, from social media sites, news media publications and other internet discussion forums. The model measures the sentiments expressed in postings to determine how public opinion on various subjects has shifted. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the group has tracked Russian attitudes on a variety of topics.

Our Coverage of the Middle East Crisis

  • Israel’s Invasion of Lebanon: A diplomatic push to avert a broader war in Lebanon fell apart after Israel killed Hezbollah’s leader. Security experts have said that a political deal is needed to restore calm.
  • The Limits of U.S. Influence: In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, President Biden stepped in to support Israel, counsel moderation and seek a lasting peace
  • Behind the War of Words: When President Emmanuel Macron of France said over the weekend that countries should stop supplying Israel with weapons if they want a cease-fire, the reaction from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was swift and scathing.
  • A Pro-Palestinian Protest in London: The U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley was en route to the dedication of a climate-themed mural in London by Shepard Fairey, who created the iconic Obama ‘Hope’ poster. But then a protest began.
  • Selling Weapons to the Houthis: The Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was freed in a prisoner exchange with the United States, is negotiating with the militant group in Yemen.