Think tank study alleges decades-long investment in schools linked to Hezbollah
JERUSALEM: A new report published by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs claims that Hezbollah, with support from Iran, has developed an extensive education network in Lebanon aimed at promoting the group’s ideology and strengthening its long-term influence within the country’s Shiite community.
The report, authored by retired Col. Dr. Jacques Neriah, argues that significant changes in Shiite education accelerated after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and the emergence of Hezbollah in the early 1980s.
According to the report, Iran provided financial support for the construction of religious schools and educational institutions, while Hezbollah gradually expanded its role in the education sector through affiliated organisations.
The report alleges that by the late 1980s, hundreds of schools had received Iranian funding and that educational programmes combined conventional academic subjects with religious and ideological instruction.
Schools allegedly combine academics with ideological education
The report claims that Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mahdi and Al-Mustafa school networks play a central role in shaping future supporters and leaders of the organisation.
It further alleges that the institutions promote concepts such as Wilayat al-Faqih, emphasise loyalty to Hezbollah’s leadership and integrate ideological themes into classroom activities, textbooks and extracurricular programmes.
According to the study, Hezbollah currently oversees at least 22 schools serving approximately 47,000 students, while affiliated educational networks reach many more pupils. The report also alleges that youth organisations linked to Hezbollah reinforce these educational messages outside the classroom.
Claims have not been independently verified
The report argues that Hezbollah views education as a strategic tool for building long-term political and social influence rather than solely providing academic instruction.
It also alleges that some school activities encourage narratives centred on “resistance,” martyrdom and opposition to Israel and the West, while claiming that military-style exercises form part of certain youth programmes.
The findings represent the conclusions of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs and have not been independently verified. Hezbollah and Iranian authorities were not quoted responding to the report’s allegations in the source material.
The report contributes to ongoing debate over the role of education, ideology and non-state actors in Lebanon’s political and social landscape.
