Support for Hezbollah? Really?

Just had a great email discussion with Aurelien about the support that Hezbollah has within Lebanon.
My 2 cents - since this is my blog, i am entitled to, nyark nyark nyark... :) - I think that ppl started off by condemning the Hezbollah kidnapping of the two soldiers which was the trigger to the crisis.

But with the insane escalation by Israel, people found themselves somewhat compelled to support Hezbo, at least implicitely: it is, after all, the only power in Lebanon capable of inflicting some damage to Israel.
Particularly with the indiscriminate bombing -- Israel has even bombed Al-Ashrafeyya, a mainly christian upper class neigbourhood in West Beirut (and from which many of my friends are). Those particular people who could afford, because of their resources (and i'm thinking mainly in terms of power and influence rather than money) to take a step back from Hezbo are thrown in the middle of the conflict and are de facto taking sides - and if not the Israeli (logic, no?) then whose side do you think they will be forced to take?
I think this applies to a large part of the Lebanese population...

One more thing: Israel has made Hezbollah into what it is: an opponent. A full fledged adversary. After they had succeeded for years in minimising Hezbollah, putting them as merely a terrorist group - and successfully minimising its role in the April 2000 Israeli retreat which, let's admit it, only took place after the Israeli army casualties became too many to justify their present -- and pictured it as a unilateral move.

The political influence and popular support of Hezbollah is increasing, and probably not just in Lebanon. And it is Israel's direct doing.
Making it even harder to apply 1559 (which called, among other things, to disarm 'all paramilitary groups', read Hezbollah).

Bravo.

I wonder if could foresee it? Or if it surprised them?