In this analytical essay, Robert G. Rabil examines how Hezbollah and the Islamic Association adopted strategies of infitah (“opening up”) and Lebanonization to integrate into Lebanon’s confessional power-sharing system. He explores how these Islamist organizations recalibrated their ideology and public personas in response to institutional pressures post–Taif era. The piece probes whether their participation marked genuine transformation or a tactical shift to consolidate influence under Syrian oversight and to moderate their original jihadi posture. Rabil’s nuanced study illuminates the intersection of religious activism and sectarian politics in Lebanon’s evolving governance landscape.