Al-Manar – Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, emphasized on Wednesday that the Resistance doesn’t get involved in border demarcation, maritime or land, assuring that it’s the State’s responsibility and falls under its constitutional mechanisms.
In his speech marking Hezbollah Martyr Day, His Eminence touched upon the specificity of this day, considering the great operation that took place when Martyr Ahmad Kassir stormed the Israeli occupation headquarters building in Tyre as the greatest and largest one in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the nation that acknowledges the value of its martyrs is the most able to be loyal to their sacrifices, and extended greetings to the families of the martyrs praising them for their patience and perseverance. “You’re our source of pride.”
Maritime Border Demarcation
Sayyed Nasrallah referred to his speech in May 25, 2000 when he said that the resistance does not get involved in border demarcation, maritime or land, and it’s not its job to define borders. “This is rather the responsibility of the state and it falls within its constitutional mechanisms”, Sayyed Nasrallah said.
He added that since 2000 the resistance has been committed to what the state determines and considers that it is its duty, along with the army and the people, to defend these borders and help liberate what remains of land or water under occupation, pointing out that the Lebanese state is the one who said that Shebaa Farms, Kfarshouba hills and Ghajar are Lebanese.
Sayyed Nasrallah explained that companies that want to invest in gas in Lebanese waters need guarantees, and this is what prompted the Lebanese state to pay attention, as previously there was no vital issue called demarcating the maritime borders with occupied Palestine.
Sayyed Nasrallah referred to the “normalization” accusations against Hezbollah and Amal movement, these are empty words made in dark rooms to throw smoke bombs on the submissive, the surrendered, and the normalizing sides.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that ever since Speaker Nabih Berri announced the framework of the negotiations in September, many political parties and the media, especially those of the Gulf, started to link the talks with the normalization agreements of other Arab countries in the region with the Zionist entity.
“Some tried to say that border demarcation approval would pave the way for normalization of ties with the Zionist entity, this is forgery and lies. Even more ridiculous, there were those saying there were underground US-Iranian negotiations. Hezbollah doesn’t need to release a statement denying this, it’s all nonsense.” He added that there are those who do not imagine that there are national political forces that take the appropriate decision according to the national interest.
His Eminence stressed that the position on Israel is clear and ideological, “this entity is illegal, cancerous and diabolical, they are a group of gangs that usurped the land of Palestine, and this does not change through time.” He also affirmed his full confidence in the management of the file by President Michel Aoun, who was known for his strength and keenness to achieve Lebanon’s rights, pointing that lately, the Americans became very interested in mediating the border demarcation.
“All we demanded was that negotiations shall be indirect, Hezbollah and Amal rejected the participation of civilians and insisted on only appointing military personnel. We also released a statement on this matter,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.
He stressed that Lebanon must know that it is in a position of strength and not weakness, and whoever wants to prevent us from benefiting from oil and gas nationally knows well that we can prevent it, and the Lebanese delegation is not begging for spaces. “The negotiating Lebanese delegation must know that it is in a position of strength, not in a position of weakness. We have rights, we are strong,” he said, noting that the Israeli occupation also needs the oil and gas, “and if it sought to prevent us from extracting our resources, we also can prevent it.”
Israeli Drill
Regarding the recent Israeli maneuver, Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that one of its objectives is to assume that Islamic Resistance forces will enter Israeli sites in the Galilee, and that they aim to regain their settlements and sites and to initiate another retaliation in the border area. “When the Israeli enemy repeats a 2017 primarily defensive plan in 2020, this is proof that Hezbollah has pushed Israel into defensive position,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Hezbollah leader explained that the enemy’s insistence on the maneuver confirms what Israeli generals have always talked about, which is that the Israeli ground forces are suffering from a real and deep crisis, and that there is a crisis in terms of psychological and spiritual level. He added that all wars have proven that Zionist air force alone can’t achieve victory.
In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah declared that Hezbollah units were on high alert while the Zionist drill was underway, “we wanted the Israelis to know this: we’d retaliate immediately and swiftly to any stupidity.” “Syria was also on full readiness, so that to send the Israeli enemy a clear message of defiance.”
US Elections
Commenting on the US presidential elections, the S.G. explained that the American elections revealed the real US face. “I ask those who brag about US democracy to look at this example and assess whether we should emulate it. Look at the living situation in large US cities, people living in tents, without social safety net, huge COVID cases, psychological diseases, addiction, huge numbers of people in jail, unbridled racism, etc.. This is America they hold up to us as an example!” Sayyed Nasrallah wondered.
As for the new administration, His Eminence affirmed that the American policy in the region is an Israeli one whose concern is the security and supremacy of Israel, whether it is democratic or republican, and therefore this policy will not change. “Regardless of who’s the US president, they all race to strengthen and empower ‘Israel’; so, from our position there’s no difference,” Sayyed Nasrallah said on the election of Joe Biden as the new US president, but indicated that “Trump’s administration is the worst or one of the worst in American history, it revealed the US true face.”
“Trump’s policy in different issues have failed, especially the Palestinian one. For four years, Trump kept world on razor edge of war,” Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out, expressing happiness for the defeat of Donald Trump in the presidential elections. “I feel happy with Trump’s humiliating defeat because of his blatant crime against Martyr Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis.”
“Many in Pentagon expressed fear that after Trump fired [Defence Secretary Mark] Esper, his actions in next two months would become more unpredictable. With a person like Trump remaining in office, everything is possible,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, warning that Trump’s dismissal of Esper may be linked to some upcoming acts domestically or abroad. However, Sayyed Nasrallah called upon Resistance Axis to be wary over the next two months, and respond two-fold of any US or Israeli stupidity.
US Sanctions Hezbollah Allies
“The genuine American problem in Lebanon is the Resistance, because the US ultimate priority is ‘Israel’,” Sayyed Nasrallah went on to say.
“All the US has been doing, at least since 2005, is how to get rid of Hezbollah; they even tried this via Syria. After they failed to instigate sedition, the US launched three years ago their scheme to incite the Lebanese against Hezbollah. So the goal of the US in Lebanon is to turn the Lebanese, particularly the Shiites, against Hezbollah. Particularly the Shiites, because they are the source of Hezbollah’s strength. How would they do this? By exacerbating the financial crisis in the country.” “David Hale says they gave billions of dollars to NGOs, which we can’t trace, media, different figures, etc. Isn’t it right of revolutionaries to know what this money was for? Or where they’re trying to take them?” Sayyed Nasrallah wondered. “We know about the role of the US embassy in all of this.”
As all attempts failed, the only choice remaining for Americans was sanctioning Hezbollah friends and allies, His eminence said.
Hezbollah’s S.G. assured that sanction won’t impact the resistance party, stating they’re of no value and that they had reverse effect on it. “’Every cloud has a silver lining,’ US sanctions preserved our money and wealth more,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.
Sayyed Nasrallah praised Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil’s “courageous stance” over US sanctions imposed on him last week. “Bassil informed me that he couldn’t comply with US demand to end alliance, because it would compromise Lebanese independence and freedom,” he said. “I advised him to take any position to avoid getting harmed and offered help but he said he didn’t need help and wanted only to keep us in the loop.”
“I tell all our allies in Lebanon if US pressures you, you are free to do what you wish; review your conscience, Lebanon’s interests, and act accordingly,” his eminence said. “The US has no right to designate anyone for corruption or terrorism, it is the source of terrorism and corruption,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, stating that “even if the US designates one of our opponents in Lebanon as terrorist or corrupt we’d also reject this, this matter is Lebanese.”
