An 'Angry Birds' Satire That Set Off Hezbollah—and Shook Lebanon

A political storm is rocking Lebanon: A satirical video aired on the LBCI channel became the talk of the day after it portrayed Hezbollah leaders as bird characters, inspired by the popular game Angry Birds, and provoked an angry response from the terrorist organization, which called the act a "humiliating provocation intended to ignite internal conflict".

In the clip, which simulates a battlefield in villages in southern Lebanon, the organization's commanders are depicted as armed birds. At their head stands a character resembling Secretary-General Naim Qassem as the central "bird" shouting "No surrender". By contrast, IDF forces are represented by pig characters, and in one scene a pig is seen operating a remote control, hinting at the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Hezbollah's response did not take long to arrive. The organization viewed the video as crossing a red line and an attempt to undermine the country's social fabric. "In recent days, videos have been disseminated by the Lebanese LBCI station that go beyond the bounds of political disagreement and include, in a humiliating manner, offensive and cheap expressions that degrade political discourse to a repulsive level and turn it into a deliberate tool for fanning the flames in the street and increasing social tension, in order to provoke reactions similar to the provocative act itself and to ignite an uncontrollable conflict among the Lebanese," the organization's official statement said.

Following heavy pressure and fears of a deterioration in the internal security situation in Lebanon, the attorney general intervened and ordered the broadcasting network to remove the video from all platforms. The channel was forced to comply.