[48128] The 'Angry Birds' storm in Lebanon: A war of incitement and fear of sectarian conflagration

The 'Angry Birds' war in Lebanon: Escalation online and on the street

A public and security storm is taking place in Lebanon surrounding a satirical video published on the LBC network, which presents Hezbollah Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, as one of the birds from the popular game "Angry Birds." According to the Abu Ali Express channel, the Lebanese channel presented Qassem under the title "Hezbollah Bird Headquarters" against the backdrop of his voice calling to avoid surrender. In response to fierce protest from the organization's supporters, the Lebanese Public Prosecutor ordered the removal of the video out of fear of igniting "inter-sectarian bloody clashes" in the country.

The affair reveals a deep rift within Lebanese society. According to the Abu Ali Express channel, Hezbollah supporters are conducting a persecution campaign against the video's creator, whose identity was exposed online, and against the Shiite journalist Dima Sadek, who served as inspiration for the satire. At the same time, the organization's supporters responded with their own "counter-video," in which they accuse the LBC network of treason and collaboration with Israel.

According to a report by Roi Kais and Guy Elster, the digital war has moved to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Hezbollah supporters produced a video showing Donald Trump as someone distributing money to journalists from media outlets that oppose the organization. The 'Current Security News' channel notes that the environment in Lebanon is very tense, with security officials fearing that political satire will deteriorate into violence in the streets.