Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the biggest distortion of Islam in history

The horrible events in Pakistan immediately brought to my mind the barbaric attack by Wahabi Chechens against the school in Beslan.  It is amazing for me to see that, apparently, attacking schools and taking children hostage is a God-pleasing action in the sick minds of the human reptiles known as Wahabis.  They also love to slit throats, torture and, occasionally, eat livers.  Truly, this ideology which we can call Wahabism or, probably even more accurately, Takfirism is satanic in its very core.  Ramzan Kadyrov is very wise when he refers to these militants as "shaitans" or devils.  He is, I think, quite literally true.

Unlike the Anglo "coalition of the willing", the Russian and Syrian armed forces have done a superb job killing as many of these "shaitans" as possible, as have the truly Muslim Chechens.  But one can only kill people, not ideologies.  And Takfirism cannot be eliminated by Russian or Syrian guns.  Takfirism can only be defeated by Islam.  This is what Ramzan Kadyrov has done in Chechnia and this is what Hezbollah is trying to do in Lebanon and this is what Iran is trying to achieve in the Middle-East.

In this video, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah explains the nature of Takfirism and the threat it poses to the Muslim world:

Full speech delivered by Hezbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday August 15, 2014.

I take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be upon the Seal of Prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi Al Qassem Mohammad, on his chaste and pure Household, on his chosen companions and on all messengers and prophets.

Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

We meet today on this dear annual anniversary of the historic epic of steadfastness, resistance, heroism, and victory.

On this dear anniversary, we must renew our praise to Allah Al Mighty on pushing away calamities, strengthening our hearts, guiding our minds, and the great victory He bestowed on Lebanon, the Lebanese people, the Lebanese resistance, and the Lebanese Army, and in fact on the entire nation. This is a divine blessing bestowed on the entire nation in face of what was threatening it through that aggression as we will see in a while when we go back to this issue.
Praise be to Allah always for all His uncountable and unlimited kindnesses and blessings. {Should you list the blessings of Allah, you would not be able to count them}.

It is also our obligation tonight to thank and salute the souls of the martyrs who were killed and whose blood was shed so that we live with dignity and pride and who are still being martyred one after the other with all bravery and heroism. It is our obligation tonight to laud specially Martyr Leader Hajj Ibrahim Al Hajj who is known as brethren Abu Mohammad Selman who led the epic of steadfastness and confrontation in the borderline town of Aita Ashaab for 33 long days. Our salutations to all martyrs – the martyrs of all resistance movements, forces, and parties – the martyrs of the people, the Lebanese Army martyrs, the martyrs of the security forces, the martyrs of the civil defense, and the media outlets martyrs. We extend our salutations to every martyr who was raised to His Creator in that oppressive, aggressive war. We extend our regards to every loyal wounded, to every prideful steadfast person, to every tolerant displaced who was sure of his dignified return, and to all the honorable families – the families of the martyrs and the wounded, the families that remained steadfast, the families which were displaced, and the families which received the displaced and embraced them. We extend our regards to all presidents and leaders who assumed responsibility and partook in making victory. As for those who did not show any interest but on the contrary crippled making victory, let's keep them aside as we don't want to make any problem with anyone. On the other hand, we laud all those who assumed responsibility and partook in making victory whether presidents, leaders, forces, elites, and every one who showed solidarity and support whether states, governments, or peoples. We extend our sincere regards to all who did not refrain from offering any kind of support despite all dangers – I mean the Islamic Resistance in Iran and Syria. Still, I must thank dearly those who after Allah Al Mighty had all the virtue in making this historic epic. They are the heroic resistance fighters who remained steadfast in all their posts, fought with all bravery, took the enemy by surprise, intimidated him, and toppled all his schemes, tactics, and minds. They even transferred the battle to his side without showing any sense of boredom, hesitation, feebleness, melancholy, and weakness despite the cruelty of the aggression and the massacres of the enemy perpetrated against their families and dear ones in the villages, cities, and towns. After all, it was these resistance fighters who forced the enemy to shout and cry for his American masters to help and put an end to the war in the last days. Thus was the divine, historic victory in July War.

We must also recall with all awe and admiration all the leaders of the resistance especially the martyr leaders and more precisely the Master of the Islamic Resistance martyrs – Sayyed Abbass Mussawi – the Sheikh of the Islamic Resistance martyrs – Sheikh Ragheb Harb – and the Leader Martyr whose virtues and efforts were enormous and great in this war – Hajj Imad Moghniyeh or Hajj Ridwan as he is known - besides all those who established this resistance day after day and generation after generation. We must recall with much reverence the establisher of this heroic resistance in Lebanon – His Eminence leader Imam Sayyed Mussa Sader especially that we are days away from marking the painful incident of his kidnap.

Brothers and sisters! Much was said about July War. Speeches were delivered as well as lectures and lessons. Books were written and studies were put. Investigations were made and morals were drawn by friends and foes in the world and in the region as well as by us. Still this war, the events of this war, and the repercussions of this war on all levels and domains are the issue for research, investigation and discussion simply because it was not a small war or a trivial incident. Rather it was a true war with political moral, economic, and historic dimensions and targets that transcend Lebanon and Palestine to cover the entire region and even to influence the international equation. It is enough to recall what the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said then on July Aggression to the effect that it was the labor pain for the birth of a Neo Middle East. So the war had regional targets and dimensions as well as international targets and dimensions. Much of this given was revealed during the war. However, following the war, all the given was revealed from the articles which were written, the journalistic interviews which were recorded, the investigations which were made, the studies which were carried, and the memoirs which were written by presidents, leaders of states, generals, and foreign ministers. All of that provided the required given and documents especially what the Israelis said and interpreted, what the Americans said and interpreted, and what one of the senior US men of intellect told me. In fact, this is not a secret. It was written in a number of articles.

Later on, it was revealed that July War – July Aggression – was a primary chain in a series of stages which had decisive targets. In 2006, it was required via the war on Lebanon first to put an end to the resistance in Lebanon and to crush the resistance in Lebanon and not only to disarm the resistance with the persistence of the structure and the persons or this entity which may get armed again later on. No, what was put forth was not disarming or disbanding the resistance. What was required was crushing the resistance and killing its leaders and cadres and hitting its joints and resistance men and arresting the greatest number of them. You can still remember that they were preparing a prison in one of the settlements in the north or in the middle of the Zionist entity to arrest 10000 persons. They wanted to achieve a structural change via this war which was a chain in a series which was to carry on with the end of the resistance in Lebanon. These are given and information. I am not making an analysis. Under the pretext that Syria backed the resistance and provided it with arms, rockets, and qualitative arms, the Israelis would then proceed and hit Syria what would lead to toppling the regime and the establishment of a friendly alternative which is allied with the USA.

I want to remind you that all of that took place in 2006 following the US occupation of Iraq and the major US military presence in the region. The third chain in the series was hitting the Palestinian resistance especially in Gaza Strip. Those who mentioned this said that all of that was supposed to be achieved in 2006 and before the end of 2006. That's because partial elections were to take place in the US Congress. George Bush and the Neo Conservatives wanted to reach the legislative elections having in their hands three heads dripping blood: the head of the resistance in Lebanon, the head of the resistance in Palestine, and the head of the regime in Syria. This is according to the terminology of the Americans themselves.

Thus if we were observing the US media prior to July War, we would have noticed great exaggeration especially for Hizbullah, Hamas, Jihad, and the regime in Syria and their role in so-called "terrorism".

All of that was a kind of psychological, media, and moral preparation so that if the three heads were cut off, George Bush would tell the Americans: I cut off for you three heads of international terrorism. Thus you have nothing but to vote for me as I can guarantee the interest and the future of the United States. Following his victory in the US Congress, the following step would be preparing for the war on Iran and toppling the regime in the Islamic Republic in 2007. I am not talking for history. I rather want to stop on the targets behind this track which are in fact two:

First: The firm compact US control over the oil, gas, and energy resources in the region. Well, Iraq is in their hands. They would lay their hands on the region here, hit the resistance movements, topple the regime in Iran, and put their hands on Iran. They are already in the Gulf. The main resources of energy in the world are in this area.

Second: The true targeting of the resistance movements, of Iran, and of Syria mounts in fact to putting an end to the Palestinian cause and imposing a settlement on the Palestinians and on the Arabs with US conditions. This was the target. This track was set to achieve this goal, and the elements of this track were the direct US occupation of Iraq and previously of Afghanistan which was occupied as a reaction to the events of September 11. Second comes the Israeli war as Israel was required to hit the resistance in Lebanon, topple the regime in Syria via the war, and put an end to the resistance in Palestine so as to achieve these goals.

How was this track crippled? Who crippled it? Why was it toppled?

Thanks for the resistance in Lebanon, the legendary Lebanese steadfastness, and all those whom I lauded in my prelude. The victory of the resistance in July War toppled this track or at least crippled it.

Why? It is because of the results in the battlefield. This is what I talked about on al Qods Day, and here I am reiterating this point as we address Gaza, the resistance in Gaza, the people of Gaza, and our Palestinian brethrens. The battlefield forced the Israelis to cry out when they reached a point in which they were not able to do anything. The air force was exhausted. The land force was exhausted. The sea force was canceled from the equation. Operations behind the borderlines came to be a very dangerous adventure due to the battlefield developments which took place. The Israelis reached a point where they were heading to a military catastrophe. Thus they called on the Americans to stop the war. All what was written in memoirs and all what we were told by Arab foreign ministers and leaders who partook in the talks in New York like on these days and nights assert this given.

Thus the steadfastness of Lebanon - the steadfastness of the resistance in the battlefield first, the popular steadfastness and incubation of the resistance second, and the political steadfastness third though we had a great political problem internally – forced the Americans, the Israelis, the Europeans, and the Security Council to make concessions concerning most of the conditions which they put in the first, second, and third weeks of the war to stop the aggression against Lebanon.

The result was:

First: The resistance in Lebanon remained. It was not crushed. Its structure was not hit. It was not disarmed. On the contrary, the resistance in Lebanon grew more and more whether in its structure, number, arms, and popularity, esteem, and confidence it enjoyed.

Second: The Israeli war did not reach Syria because it flopped in Lebanon. Should the Israelis have proceeded in Lebanon they would have been moving towards a catastrophe. Thus how were they to broaden the compass of the war?

Third: The war on Gaza did not take place in 2006 or it was postponed. Before the war in Lebanon, there were violent aerial operations against Gaza Strip. So at least the war against Gaza was postponed to the end of 2008. Moreover, the resistance operations against the US occupation in Iraq escalated, and consequently, the political steadfastness in Iraq, the resistance in Iraq, and the Iraqi national will led to the withdrawal of the US occupation without keeping any barracks or gaining any immunity for US soldiers and officers. Consequently, the Neo Conservatives lost the elections and a new administration came to power. Thus this track came to an absolute end.

That does not mean that the US goals were toppled. No! We must always keep in mind that there are always fixed US goals in the region.

To achieve these goals, the US administration follows definite tracks or put specific schemes and projects. When a track is toppled, it resorts to another, a third, a forth, and a fifth until an absolute end is put to the entire US-Israeli project in the region. Only then there will remain no project or target or track. However, as long as the US-Israeli scheme and these US targets – part of which are Israeli targets – exist, it will always search for tracks on the light of the existing capabilities, events, developments, and factors.

Well, this war flopped.

We said all of this first to usher into the main study which is the main part of tonight's speech.

Second, we want to remind of the magnitude of the political and historic victory with which July War was so that it would not be forgotten amid the current events and developments.

Lebanon, the Lebanese people, the Lebanese resistance, the state, the army, and everyone who had a true hand in this achievement and this historic victory made this great, historic, political, military, intellectual, cultural, moral, and humanistic achievement whose repercussions are still valid until our very day.

Third, we want to assert before the current and upcoming dangers and intimidations that we are all able to confront these dangers and we are able to topple any track conspiring against our region, country, countries, peoples, and sanctities. That's because in July War, when the Americans adopted this track they had all the elements of strength. I even claim that at that time the Americans were at the peak of their strength. In fact, not a power in history and in the world reached the peak the Americans reached following 2001 and 2002. The peak of the US military, security, political, information, and media power and the peak of US intimidation and ferocity was in that decade.

Second, the regional and international conditions were favorable. There were no Soviet Union, no socialist camp, and no Arab world. All of these collapsed before the USA. So the regional and international conditions were very favorable.

Those who were able to confront that track and topple it at that time are able to confront any other track and topple it. I am not talking about a specific side but rather about the sum of these sides in the region from Lebanon to Palestine to Syria to Iraq to Iran and the other sides in the region – every side according to its capacities, post, and capabilities. This is another goal from recalling all of the above.

In our viewpoint, the Israeli aggression and war taking place against Gaza Strip is part of a new track. We said that the first track was toppled. The region moved to other developments and events which we may differ in evaluating, reading, and specifying their reasons. However the entire Arab region entered a new status quo.

Well, on light on this new status quo, the Americans or the other antagonistic project drew a new track to achieve its goals which are still the same: controlling the region and the resources of oil in the region, achieving victory for the Israelis, liquidating the Palestinian cause, and imposing condition on the Palestinians and the Arabs with Israeli provisions. So they are the same targets. They did not change. From time to time, only the tracks and tactics change.

What is taking place in Gaza today is part of this new track which started before the launch of the war on Gaza. Now Gaza is a chain in a series or one of the stages of the new track which consists of two elements as in the previous decade. I said that in the previous decade there were two elements: the first element is the direct military action which led to the occupation of Iraq and the control over the Gulf region via this occupation. The second element is Israel, the Israeli army, and the Israeli war.

Following all what afflicted them and their withdrawal from Iraq and their crisis in Afghanistan, the Americans today are very much cautions of any military return to the region or at least of any military land return. Thus when they talk about US intervention in Iraq, Obama, the Secretary of State, the Secretary Defense, and the National Security officials daily say that they will not dispatch land troops or soldiers or infantry soldiers. This one way or another expresses this condition.

Well, today there are two factors exploited in this track. I will say things in their names. To all those who listen to me, please open your minds and hearts because we are all in Lebanon and the region in a stage of existential danger. Thus we will not talk about privileges, perfections, and better and more prosperous conditions. We are talking about the very existence.

Well, today there is a new track which I will talk about before going back to the two factors. The new track is more difficult and more dangerous than the previous one because it is not the track of toppling regimes and establishing alternative authorities. In such a track, when you topple a regime and bring along an alternative authority, the country remains as an entity; the state remains, the borders remain, the social structure remains or it might be harmed, and the army remains or might be harmed. The only thing that takes place is toppling an authority and bringing along an alternative authority.

The new track is not that of toppling regimes and establishing alternative regimes. It is rather the track we talked about in more than one occasion. It is the track of demolishing and ruining states, armies, peoples, and entities. We do not need evidence on what is taking place. We will go to that later. So it is the track of demolishing, disintegrating, crushing, and ruining everything.

The Americans are moving in this track along with all those who are with the Americans in the region including Israel too. They want to draw a new map for the region. However, on what is this new map to be drawn? New maps were drawn for the region following World War I and World War II. However, now on what they want to draw a new map for the region? They want to draw it on the disjoined limbs not only of individuals but also of states, peoples, societies, and ruins. So it is not that pillars and walls would remain and we would have only to repair them and rebuild the ceiling. The new map is to be drawn on baffled minds as a result of the events which are taking place and are plotted to take place in the region. Thus minds would become baffled: Where are we to go? What choices do we have? What are we to do? The new map is to be drawn also on terrified hearts. There is a very moving scene: a helicopter in Sinjar – I don't remember now whether it is an Iraqi helicopter or an American helicopter though I believe it is an Iraqi helicopter – carrying women and children from land. Just look at their faces and eyes and recall your women and children to know on what the new map of the region is to be drawn. It is to be drawn on disjoined limbs, ruins and wrecks, baffled minds, and terrified hearts. They want us all in the region to reach a catastrophe, and to end this catastrophe we would accept any dictations. Just put an end to this catastrophe. Save us from this calamity and you will have whatever you want in return. We are even ready to offer you our eyes. It would be a social, security, political, economic, intellectual, mental, and emotional catastrophe. Even worse, the main enemy would be the savior and the rescuer after all. This is where the region would be dragged to.

Well, what are the main factors of this track?

The first factor is the Israelis. This is what I talked about when talking about the demolition and ruining taking places in Gaza. As the Palestinian brethrens said, the true and factual target is hitting the resistance, disarming the resistance, putting an end to the structure of the resistance, and making the people in Gaza Strip frustrated from everything called resistance and that thus surrender. As such nothing would remain but ruin and wrecks.

The second factor is no less dangerous. It is the Takfiri current which the ISIL has become today the most prominent and evident manifestation of. ISIL is the greatest manifestation of this current.

Well, these are the factors of this new track. I will return later to this point when I talk about ISIL and the new track. However, now I want to usher to this study through this question which is the main idea in tonight's speech. Is it possible to gain victory over this new track and to defeat it? Yes! I tell the Lebanese, the Syrians, the Iraqis, the Palestinians, and all the peoples of the region: Yes, it is possible to defeat this new track as the previous track was defeated. However, this can't be achieved by wishes. This may be achieved with action supported with supplication. This requires conditions and elements and special efforts to be exerted.

There are two points which I want to stress on. Yes, we can reach a place in which we can defeat this new track.

The first title is that we comprehend and believe that there is a true existential threat confronting us. First, we must comprehend whether there is such a threat or not.

Second, we must comprehend whether there is a true serious threat or whether it is a joke or an absurd jest. What are the dimensions of this danger, the capabilities of this danger, and the capacities of this danger? We must understand, comprehend, and believe this first. So no one must say that there is nothing and that this is mere exaggeration. No one must say there is nothing in the region. There is no danger. This is an absurd jest. This is a transient incident. There is nothing. Well, this is wrong. Why? In fact, there must be a state between exaggeration and understatement.

That's because you in Lebanon may come face to face before this danger at a time you have not prepared anything. You have no strategy. You have no elements of strength. You did not get ready. You have no plan. Then you will feel remorse, but that would be of no good to you at a time you would have run out of time. That is wrong. Those who say there is nothing of this sort are insisting stubbornly against the real fact. You see all what is taking place and still you say there is no danger!

Second: you would be exaggerating if you present things in a magnitude greater than their true magnitude what might lead to a state of horror, fear, frustration, and despair. Thus the spirit of defeat and surrender would sneak to the souls. People might start thinking of how to gather their things and pack their bags and travel. This would prepare his passport. That would think of a place to hide in because things are over. Danger is proceeding and he has no power to confront it as what befell the region during the Mongol invasion for example.

So it is neither true to say that there is nothing and that this is a jest nor that there is no ability to confront and thus a state of despair and frustration and defeat might prevail. Both tracks are wrong. What's true is that we comprehend the danger, the magnitude of this danger, the capacities of this danger, and the capabilities of this danger and believe that there is a danger. This is the first point.

The second point is to search for the means to confront this threat, to topple it, to put an end to it, and to defeat it. The means must be true, factual, and serious. So we must not go to illusions and mirage options. We must not go for choices which were tried and proved to be fruitless. We must go for factual choices from the history of our region, from the history of our peoples, from the history of our nation, and from the history of the entire humanity while taking into consideration all the facts, data, and international, regional, and local equations. Then we would say there is such and such and so and so means. Then we would put a plan and say these are the elements of this plan and get ready to confront this threat. Through these two points it is possible to confront this threat taking into consideration July War, the current war on Gaza, the previous war on Gaza, the experiences of the resistance and what took place in the region, and the experiences of the Palestinians, the Lebanese, the peoples of the region, and even the entire Arab world, and the entire Islamic war over decades – meaning before 1948 to our present day. We had painful and sorrowful experiences and at times humiliating experiences. Some experiences were very hard on the peoples, the governments, the generations…. This is what we inherited. We inherited the experience of Israel, the Zionist project, the Zionist expansion…

First and only to make the idea clear with the beginning of the twentieth century, they started bringing along the Zionist families, peasants, craftsmen, and merchants to Palestine.

What was the number of the Arabs and what was the number of the Jews? What was the number of the Jews in Palestine? They were incomparable. If you would tell any Palestinian or any Arab that the Jews want to establish a state in Palestine via the Zionist project, he would answer you saying: You are kidding indeed. You are lying for sure.

They started getting the families along. There was no evaluation of the danger at first. Some people did not foresee the danger at first. Some people underestimated it. Others oversimplified it. Others classified it under the human dimension. They said: Poor they! They are homeless and scattered in the states. In WWII they were exposed to such and such. Of what harm it would be if some families were brought along and settled in our regions? The land of Palestine is wide, and the people of Palestine do not cover the entire Palestinian geography.

Since the very beginning, these families were distributed in settlements pursuant to military and security offices. From the very beginning, nothing took place by accident. However, the peoples, the elites, the governments, and many others did not comprehend this point. Not all of them though; some people comprehended what took place. Some people were conscious of what took place. Others have previous expectations and sounded the bell of alarm. However, the overwhelming majority did not comprehend this point.

In 1948, they said: "They want to take the land occupied since 1948 and establish a state. Well, the land of Palestine is vast, and the Arab land is vast". They did not deal with that as a danger and that Israel will extend with its eye on al Qods and other areas.

Also in 1967, some Arabs used to find excuses to Israel. They used to say: "Israel has expansionary goals! That's impossible. It does not want to seize the Bank. It does not put its eyes on west al Qods. It does not want to enter Jordan, Golan Heights, and definite regions in Lebanon. What Israel perpetrated in 1967 was a pre-emptive war because it had information that the Arab states and the Arab armies – especially both the Egyptian and the Syrian Arab armies – were preparing themselves for a final war with the Israelis besides the Palestinian resistance factions which existed then. Poor Israelis! They have waged a pre-emptive war. However, they do not want to expand. Wasn't this said in the Arab world?

The magnitude of threat started to mushroom until we reached a place in which Israel became a state having the most powerful army in the world. It became the most powerful state in the world which threatens, bombards, displaces, kills, perpetrates massacres, goes to the negotiations table, and imposes conditions. How did we reach this result? Here we go back to the first title as there was debate over whether the Zionists who came from all around the world posed a threat or not. In case they posed a threat, what is the magnitude of this threat? What are the capacities and elements of strength of this threat? This is first.

Here we come to the second title. They bet on wrong choices. Only few did not. I will discuss the choices of these few later.

Some bet on the international community, international institutions, and the Arab relations with their allies. Some believed the English; others believed the French; others believed the Americans. Others bet on international intervention and then on the Arab League and on waiting for a united Arab strategy. That took place in Lebanon, in Palestine, and in several states in all the confrontations with the Zionist project. Others bet on the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and the unity of the Arab and Islamic world. What is this? We remained waiting for ten years followed by another ten years and followed also by another ten years. By today, we have been waiting for 70 years and even more if we started counting from the previous century.

They resorted to choices such as going to negotiations, turning to the world, to the international community, to the Arab conscience, to the Human Rights Chart, and to Geneva Agreement for help. That did not lead to the true road. Experiences show that that did not lead anywhere, and the evidence is what befell the Palestinians, the Lebanese, and the peoples of the region over all of these decades. Whoever has another logic let him present it.

However, the only thing which was true from the very beginning was going to so called armed struggle, so called war of liberation, and so called military choice as there were terrorist gangs supported by some foreign states which occupied the Palestinian territories in 1948, displaced the Palestinian people and turned them to refugees in their own land and outside Palestine. It was also required that the nation be awakened, that armies be prepared, that the resistance factions get ready, and that everyone work to achieve this goal and to expel these invaders. This is the right path. There was no other right path.

However, this path was adopted partially. The Palestinian resistance factions with all its popular forms emerged from the very beginning – before 1948 and after 1948. All of this was recorded as a history, and lessens must be drawn from it as a history.

Then came the confrontation with Egypt, confronting the tripartite aggression by the end of the 50s, and preparing following 1967 to the war with Israel which took place in 1973 in which the Egyptian and the Syrian armies waged heroic battles ending in what it ended in.

Because of the resistance movements in Lebanon and in Palestine, achievements took place and victories were made. These are the right kind of choices and not the miserable choices which either we laugh on ourselves with or we laugh on our peoples with or we amuse ourselves with.

For example, one of the theories which remained for tens of years is that the solution is establishing an Arab lobby as there is a Zionist lobby. As such equilibrium would be made between us and the Zionist lobby, and thus we would pressure the American administration and reach a solution in the Middle East. What is this? This talk is for amusement. This is a kind of lying on the people. This is a legend and not only a theory.

This is the experience that took place in the Israeli file. Now the bet is on Gaza, on the people of Gaza, on its fighting and struggling factions, on its peoples, its will, its resistance because it depends on this choice and does not want to surrender to the Israeli enemy. They do not want to bow despite all the sacrifices. They are not losses but rather sacrifices: martyrs, wounded, demolition, and everything. There is no other choice.

Now let any Palestinian brother or sister who lives in Gaza Strip or in any place recall all the modern history – we are not talking about things that took place 200 years ago or a 1000 years ago. Thus we conclude that this path is the right path and this for sure would lead to a result and in many places would lead to results.

This is the implementation of the two titles on a file which is still valid, alive, vital, and dangerous - meaning confronting the Zionist project.

We come now to the second sample which exists now. I want to talk a little now. I want to say: "O brothers and sisters! I am addressing the Lebanese and all the peoples of the region who are listening to me. Based on all what previously was mentioned and apart from all what took place in the past three weeks and the discrepancies on the viewpoints, the evaluation, the reasons, and assuming responsibilities and saying we are right and blaming the other, let's put all of this aside because all of that is of no use. Why? Because there is a true danger on your entities, sanctities, states, and on your foreign existence, houses, mosques, churches, women, and children. Consequently, today it's no time for reconsideration. Are we to make reconsiderations now? Well, we want to make that later on. However, today the entire region and the peoples of the entire region are before a new, great, and true danger.

Today, let's see what is called ISIL and what is taking place today? Let's talk about facts.

Today, there is a regime which has become a state which is occupying and controlling a very vast geographic area – a part of Syria, and a part of the Iraqi territories. In fact, this area is much larger than some of the states in the region and the world. If we talk about the geographic area, they are controlling the sources of energy, oil, gas, and others. They control major rivers, major water dams. They have enormous quantities of arms and artilleries. They sell oil, and there are those who buy from them and trade with them and facilitate this operation. This is questionable. There are countries which have thousand problems in selling an oil carrier. How is ISIL able to sell and be financed before the eyes of the international community and regional countries for example? This organization has a great number of fighters too. The overwhelming majority of the main fighters are not Syrian or Iraqi fighters. They are rather fighters who were brought along from abroad. Their travel and their crossing the border were facilitated. This is also questionable. This organization which has this presence and has a special doctrine, view, understanding, and conduct which we noticed from Syria to Iraq started perpetrating massacres. It is not that they were engaged in a war. Rather they committed massacres, killed prisoners and captives, and killed innocent people. They started with their fellow tribesman – the followers of the same organization, the same intellect, the same pillar, and the same pledge. They are the al-Nusra. Then they started killing and are still killing the rest of their allies who are naturally their allies – meaning the Syrian armed forces. Battles are taking place now in the northern reef in Aleppo between ISIL and the rest of the factions. In fact, in some places al-Nusra kept themselves aside. The battles are taking place in Reef Idlib and north Idlib. Major battles took place in Deir Al-Zour. In Iraq and in Syria they fight, kill, and even slaughter everyone who differs with them in their viewpoints. So notice that they choose the means that depends on terrorizing. Well, if you concluded that you are allowed to kill those people, open fire on them and kill them. But no, they do not kill them except by slaughtering them before the camera. They even put it on the you-tube and broadcast it on satellite outlets so that the scene is seen worldwide. This is part of the psychological war that aims at spreading fear, terror, and horror among the peoples of the region, the governments, and the armies of the region. I would like to tell you that the massacres which were perpetrated are in the first place against Sunnis. You can review the numbers. Who killed the Sunnis? Who killed the Sunni scholars who are not with the regimes but rather against the regimes? See the people who were killed by ISIL. That's because the Sunnis whom we know as Sunnis are according to ISIL considered as unbelievers. That's because according to their doctrinal, intellectual, and jurisprudential categorizations, the unbelievers are so and so and so. This also applies to the Ash'aris, and most of the Sunnis in the world are Ash'aris in the doctrinal and intellectual sense of the word. However, if they were not Ash'aris but they differ with them politically or over the pledge, they would kill them. Didn't this take place?

What about the recent war waged by the ISIL? Well are the Kurds Christians or Shiah? Their majority are Sunnis. In this battle, over a million and a half million were displaced because of the ISIL war in Iraq. They are Sunnis. They are neither Shiah, nor Christians, nor Oyazdians. Well, in Iraq, ISIL did not spare anyone of whatever religion: Muslims, Christians, and Oyazdians. They did not spare anyone of whatever sect: Sunnis and Shiah. They did not spare anyone even if talking about races and nationalities: Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen. They did not spare anyone. Also in the battle in Syria, the same thing took place. They spared neither Arabs nor Kurds.

The ISIL ruined sanctities, sacred shrines, mosques, and churches. They want to forcefully impose a definite life-style with the force of arms and terrorizing people – all people and not only Christians but rather Muslims and Christians alike. This life-style does not have anything to do with Islam, with Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), or with the Holy Quran. This is something else. Go and meet scholars. Ask all sects.

Well, does this scene exist or not? Is it a joke? They are announcing their goals. They put their map which they want to draw and they threat and bombard. What is even more dangerous from all of that is that they have a popular ground. Why should we hide behind our finger? They have a popular ground in several Arab states. It is not a Sunni background. No! Their background is the followers of this intellect which labels as an unbeliever everyone other than themselves. They declare killing everyone other than themselves permissible. They take as prisoners everyone's women except their women. They brag saying we came to slaughter you. That does not belong to any divine religion. No religion revealed by Allah Al Mighty says "we came to slaughter you". Attributing that to Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) is very dangerous and fake. After opening Mecca, Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) stood confronting Abu Sufyan and so and so… who fought him, displaced him, killed his companions, killed his uncle, devoured his uncle's liver, confiscated houses, and harmed him severely until he said: "No prophet was harmed as I was harmed." They fought him until they were frustrated. They became his prisoners and still they remained polytheists. Not all of them became Muslims. Some pretended to be Muslims, and some remained polytheists and ran away and hid themselves. However, what did the Prophet tell them?

Go you are free. He did not behead them. He did not slaughter them. He did not say "we came to slaughter you". When did he say "we came to slaughter you"? This is the slogan of ISIL. This is the slogan of this current.

So there is a true scene. Whoever says this does not exist lives in another world. In fact, such a person is not allowed to assume responsibility. He is not entitled even to assume the responsibility of his family and not the responsibility of a current or a group or a society or a country. He is not entitled to assume the responsibility of his wife and children. He is not entitled to assume responsibility. This is a clear scene.

As for those who stand behind ISIL, the stories of the Syrian intelligence, the Iraqi intelligence, the Iranian intelligence, and even of Hizbullah fabricating ISIL and running it are absurd. This does not deserve to be commented on. Well, yes there are regional countries which sponsored and are sponsoring ISIL and led it to this place. The Americans may have a hand pursuant to the word Hilary Clinton was quoted as saying. I do not want to be responsible of saying this as I do not know whether this is right or wrong. However, all I know is that the Americans kept a blind eye on that, offered facilitations, and opened the gates to exploit this phenomenon in the track I talked about before. Indeed they are penetrated. Indeed, there is US influence, and whether they know or not, they are serving the US and the Israeli target in this new track.

Well we reached where we reached. Here I want to ask a question before moving to the last part of my speech. I call on every Lebanese, every Palestinian, every Syrian, every Iraqi, and every man in the Gulf to sit alone and make reflections. Allah Al Mighty says: {Do stand before Allah in pairs and singly}.

So put fanaticism aside whether party, sectarian, factional, regional or national fanaticism. Let's keep personal, party, and political calls aside. Really let's keep such calls aside this time and sit and think and make reflections. This poses a danger on everyone. Does that pose danger on Hizbullah only? Is there Hizbullah in Deir Al-Zour or in Riqqa or in Mussel? Was Hizbullah fighting ISIL so that the latter invaded Mussel? Does that pose danger on the Shiah only? On Christians only? On the Oyazdians only? On the Alawis only? On the Ishmaels? On the Ibadis who are still far away? Or on Druze only? This poses a threat on everyone and on the Sunnis above all.

Thus we wholeheartedly hope that no one present the battle in the region as a sectarian battle. It is not an Islamic-Christian war. It is not a factional war. It is not a Shiah-Sunni war. It is a war of another kind. It is the war of ISIL which has this annihilative, eliminative, Takfiri, brutal, slaughtering intellect against anyone against them. Their intellect is not based on Islam or on what took place at the time of the Prophet or at the time of the first Muslim Caliphs, or on the map that was previously drawn for the region, or on religious minorities. All of this is deleted. The sects, factions, minorities, churches, mosques, and shrines they are demolishing are 1400 years old. The overwhelming majority of the holy sites they are downing were under Sunni government. However, the ISIL have nothing to do with this history, this intellect, or even this culture. They want to wipe everything. They pose a threat to everyone.

Anyway, first we must know that this poses a danger.

Second, we must discuss what we must do? We are all in the sphere of danger. What must we do? Must we – for example – benefit from the experience of our struggle with the Israeli threat which is still valid today? Shall we – for example – bet on the international community saying we can't do anything so let's go and talk with the Americans or the French or the English (as now Russia is preoccupied in Ukraine)? Let's see what we might do. There is no solution other than resorting to the international community to intervene. What international community would intervene? Where would the international community intervene? Whose side it will take? See what took place in Iraq. I am not calling for an American intervention. However, I just have a question. When ISIL invaded Mussel, Nineveh, and a large section of Salaheddine province, and broke into Diala and perpetrated massacres what forced people to run away in the desert (and all of these massacres are documented and we watched them on the TV), why did not the international community intervene? Why wasn't Obama's humanity and the American administration moved? Also when hundreds of thousands of Christians were attacked, they were not moved? In fact, they do not care for the Christians in Mussel or in Iraq or in Syria or in Lebanon. I would like to tell the Christians in Lebanon: Deluded is he among you who believe that the Christians in Lebanon mean anything to America or the west. Before any danger they will tell you what France told the Christians of Iraq: You are welcomed as refugees and we will grant you citizenships too. This is the project some seniors among you heard from the former French president. Does the west really care for the Christians in the region? Do you still seek help from the Americans, French, English, the international community, and the International Security Council after all what took place and is taking place? They do not care for Sunnis, Shiah, Christians, Oyazdians, and even Kurds. They did not care for the Kurds who were killed in Mussel, at the edges of Karkuk, in Zumar and Sinjar. They did not care for the Turkmen or the Arabs. Well, yes when ISIL came close to Erbil, they intervened because Kurdistan means what it means politically, security, and economically to the US administration and to the west. They intervened to tell ISIL that they are not allowed to come close to that area. These are your borders and limits. It is permitted that you slaughter Sunnis. It is permitted that you slaughter Shiah. It is allowed that you slaughter Christians and demolish their churches and imprison their women. It is permitted that you perpetrate genocides against Oyazdians, Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Turks alike. As for Erbil and Kurdistan, they have a different position on the map. Do you want us to bet on these Americans and on the international community? O Iraqis, Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians, Palestinians, and peoples of the region! What are you waiting for? Will the Arab League protect you? Are you waiting for an Arab consensus or a united Arab strategy? I want to be very clear and precise. In any country around the world, when anyone feels that his existence is in the sphere of threat, elimination, and annihilation, does he wait for a national consensus? Has such a thing ever happened in history? No! Never!

So the big question is: If we agree that there is a danger threatening us, the question would be: How are we to confront this danger? Where shall we go? What are the capabilities? What are the means? What are the tools? There are major and big responsibilities to be shouldered by the Iraqis, the Syrians, the Palestinians, and the peoples of the region. I want to address the Lebanese and my logic can be applied on all the other peoples and countries because Praise be to Allah there are authorities, leaderships, scholars, parties, and movements which are perfect and great and fit to assume responsibility.

Allow me to go into details concerning the Lebanese application. Well, as Lebanese, do we agree that this danger exists and that it is a lurking danger and not a postponed danger that would come in 2 or 3 or 5 years? This was true before the events of Iraq and the event of Mussel. In fact, the country was in one situation and overnight it became in another situation. Anything may take place overnight in any country because ISIL today is a serious threat to Syria and Iraq. In logic, they say potential and actual. ISIL is an actual threat to Iraq and Syria and a potential threat to the rest of the countries: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf countries. The Turks even must reconsider their stance. There is a threat against all countries. Well, what is it possible that we as Lebanese do? What we must go to?

There are even questions which are posing themselves seriously nowadays. I even say that we in Hizbullah must make discussions. It's our obligation to make discussions with the rest of the Lebanese. The rest of the Lebanese must undergo dialogue among themselves. Indeed, I am not calling for a national dialogue conference for this issue because we will not reach anywhere as far as this issue is concerned. What we need is what I said a while ago: Stand before Allah in pairs and singly. Let every party and every group make their own discussions. Then they may communicate together and make bilateral or threefold talks. Let's as men of intellect, politicians, and elites talk with each other and see what we may do. There is a serious question which is always evoked. It is not an issue of making internal and political settlements among ourselves: Is the solution in the withdrawal of Hizbullah from Syria?

Hizbullah's main presence is in Qalamoun and Qusair – meaning the bordering area. It is presented that Hizbullah's withdraw from Qalamoun and Qusair is the solution!

I ask the Lebanese and especially the residents of Bekaa. I ask all the Lebanese Muslims and Christians alike. I am really serious. Put all quarrels aside. To make quarrels everything may be said. Is it true that if Hizbullah withdraws from Syria, the danger will be gone from Lebanon? Will ISIL then leave Lebanon alone? Does the ISIL really have no aspirations in Lebanon? Is it that some Lebanese officials would go to Mussel and meet Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi and tell him to eliminate Lebanon's 10452 km2 (in addition to some blocks) from the map he broadcasted on TV outlets because we talked with Hizbullah which will withdraw from Syria? Is that a fact or a simplification of things? Will withdrawing from Qusair and Qalamoun protect Lebanon?

Apart from our presence there, and apart from debating whether this is the reason or not as that will be of no use because everyone has his logic and everyone may provide his events, let's start from the very end. At the time being, the whole region is in danger. There is no time for intellectual luxury as what took place on the first day of July War 2006. Buildings were downed, infrastructure was being bombarded, people were being slaughtered…. Still some people were debating whom to hold responsible. Hizbullah is to be accused because they kidnapped the prisoners.

Well there is a crisis in the country. Let's address it and then we would debate whom to hold responsible. Now the national responsibility says: Let's face the war. Now the national responsibility says: Let's do something to protect the country. Let's protect our state, our Lebanon, our people, our society, and our region. I am asking you a serious question. Let's discuss this issue together. Does really our withdrawal from Syria protect Lebanon or does staying in Syria protect Lebanon? Among the other ideas proposed today is expanding the implementation of Resolution 1701 which is applied on the Lebanese southern borders. Well, let's expand it to cover the rest of the Lebanese borders with Syria. Others said only the Bekai borders. I have another serious question. The situation in the south is perfect. In fact, following July War, the situation changed as far as the Israeli issue is concerned. In the past, Israel used to act with utmost freedom in Lebanon. It used to kidnap and break in and move freely. Now it is not able to carry security operations as it has to take thousands of issues into consideration to do so. Well, some say the south is secure now. Thanks to Resolution 1701 it is secure! Thanks to the presence of the UNIFIL and the international forces. Is this really the case? Do you really say so and believe what you say? Whom are you laughing at? Well, go and ask the residents of the south. Ask the people in Lebanon. What is the validity of this idea?

Does Israel really observe international resolutions? Does Resolution 1701 protect Lebanon? Whom are you laughing at? Are you laughing on a people who had suffered for 60 or 70 years with Israel and now you want this people to believe that Resolution 1701 is protecting Lebanon?

Poor UNIFIL! They are protecting Lebanon! The UNIFIL need protection themselves. Was there no incubating environment, was there no state, and was there no army, the UNIFIL wouldn't have been able to protect themselves. It is the Army-People-Resistance equation which protected and is protecting Lebanon and the south. The resistance rocket power which they know very well, the capacities of the resistance, the resistance men, and the national doctrine of the Lebanese Army (as the Lebanese Army has no considerable military capabilities) are what protect Lebanon. These elements form the deterrence power and not the international umbrella of Resolution 1701 or the international forces or the UNIFIL. Let no one laugh at the Lebanese and cheat them saying he would protect Irsal, Labweh, Qaa, Ras Baalbeck, Zahle, Mount Lebanon, and Akkar through deploying the UNIFIL there. Is the Lebanese Army able to cover all the borders? Where from are you to get UNIFIL and spread them all over this area? What international umbrella are you talking about? Here I say that there is an international project. There is a track sponsored by the USA to destroy, crush, and ruin everything. Go and ask your allies who are afraid on their states and entities from this international connivance. When we say so about Resolution 1701, we would be wasting our time. Still I say that we must sit together and carry on discussions.

Well over the past few years, the previous government which we were part of and the current government practiced the policy of staying aside. Well does the policy of staying aside protect Lebanon? Well suppose we have followed this policy in the past and currently, and suppose that ISIL controlled Syria and came to be at the borders – God forbids. May this never take place. Suppose ISIL came to be at the borders of Rashaya, Hasbaya, Shebaa, Baalbeck, Bekaa, and the north. Shall we still say there is no danger in that? What are the guarantees? Would the country be protected?

Does the policy of staying aside protect the country? Is it true that we have nothing to do with what is taking place in Syria? Let ISIL, Al Qaeda, or whatever come, we have nothing to do with that. Is this approach realistic? Here I am not talking from the logic of the resistance or from the perspective of our loyalty to Syria. I am talking as a national Lebanese. Let's say that I am a fanatic Lebanese. Is this policy – the policy of staying aside – which indeed we did not adopt and others did not adopt so far the right policy to be followed? Is it right to reach a point in which the Lebanese National Army is being conspired against, its soldiers are being kidnapped and its soldiers and officers are being slaughtered and still it is not allowed to contact Syria because of the policy of staying aside. Is this logical?

Anyway, these are questions. Let's talk together. Hizbullah's presence in Syria: Does staying there or withdrawing from there protect Lebanon? Let's discuss this. Lebanon is in danger. We have a real problem with whoever says it is not in danger or among the Lebanese. Second, does Resolution 1701 protect the country? Does the policy of staying aside protect the country? Let's see what is the problem? Let's carry a quick revision for all of these choices to see together what the problem is.

I will wrap up my speech with our proposition. Between my hands is the last page that contains the head notes. Anyway, what does the logic, the mind, the religion, the Law of Islam and human experience say?

All of these say: When an entity, a state, or a society is before an existential danger, the absolute priority before this existential danger would be to make reorganizations in a way that meets this existential danger. Whoever does not act accordingly would not be acting according to the mind, religion, morals, and humanity. He would be exposing his people to the danger of annihilation while he is sitting and wasting his time with issues he sees as fateful and of priority. Well, such issues may be important but they are not fateful.

The first thing I present to the Lebanese now is the following:

I call on all the Lebanese to comprehend that our country, our entity, and our society is before an existential danger in an exceptional and very dangerous way. I am not exaggerating and whoever does not want to believe let him believe later. In face of this existential danger, we must define our priorities. This in the first place needs loyalty. It requires putting factional, sectarian, party, and personal considerations aside. This confrontation requires loyalty, seriousness, and sacrifices. It is not shameful to reconsider one's stance. It is not shameful to change one's speech if that serves the battle of existence. On the contrary, that is required. The mind, religion, and humanity say that is required. We must search for and gather the elements of strength and confront the danger.

The first title is the Lebanese Army and the official security forces. The army and the security forces must be the sides responsible for protecting the country, the people, the villages, and the borders. It is not Hizbullah or any other party. This is the main responsibility. The state must act accordingly and it must be fit to act accordingly.

In debate, some might say we are preventing that. No, we are not. Did we prevent anyone from providing the army with weapons? Did we prevent anyone from providing the army with tanks? Did we prevent anyone from donating aids to the army? On the contrary, we welcome all kinds of donations. What is important is that the army be furnished with arms, and not only with Rios, trucks, and troop carriers that do not stand before B7 or BKC or average arms. No! It is required that the army be provided with true arms. The army and the security forces are responsible of protecting the people, the state, and everyone.

So first, at this stage, there was a project for politicians to deliver some words to support the army. This project was in the hands of journalists, and I don't know what became of it. However, I like to say what I intended to say then as every person was supposed to talk for three minutes. What is required is true, popular, and official support to the army and not only materialistic support. What do I mean with true support? Today the army has a definite number of soldiers and such and such capacities and artillery. However, in the first place what about its morals, spirits, fighting doctrine, dignity, and pride? This is the responsibility of the state as well as the people.

Today, the primary and main support to be given to the army is that the state stands with the Lebanese Army to restore the captive soldiers and army and security forces officers who were kidnapped and imprisoned. Let no one interpret what I am saying as a kind of instigation. We always talk as such. Every hour and every moment pass while these dear ones are imprisoned is a moment of humiliation to Lebanon and not only to the army. It is a moment of humiliation to the state and to every Lebanese person. We always used to feel offended when there used to be any resistance man in Israeli prisons even if this man did not belong to Hizbullah. It is enough that this prisoner is left in prison.

As for the soldiers and the Lebanese Army and security forces officers who are detained by the armed forces, it is the responsibility of the state to seek to free them. This cause must be addressed in a way that saves the dignity of the army, the security forces and the dignity of this attire and these institutions.

First, the army must not be accused, and second any accusation to the army must be rejected. Every now and then, someone would say the army is cruciferous! What does that mean? The army is Safawi. It is a tool in the hands of Hizbullah. No it is not a tool in the hands of Hizbullah. There is no problem between the army and Hizbullah. On the contrary, this is required on the national level. The army takes pain to have no problem with any political force in the country. What if this political force is a primary faction in the resistance? Is fighting between Hizbullah and the army required? Does this serve the national interest? Indeed not!

All politicians know that the army is not a tool in the hand of Hizbullah at all. All of these accusations must not be made, and they must be rejected if they were made. This is our national army. This is the army of all the Lebanese. It needs this support and this backing on all levels. The same logic applies to the security forces. We must all achieve this so as to have a strong army, soldiers, artillery, spirits, morals, dignity, and confidence to change the equation. This makes a very remarkable change in the equation. Thus at any moment of danger, we would all be by its side shouldering it.

Second comes preserving the current government. We must not allow the dissolve of the current government whatever the discrepancies are because now it is one way or another the only active institution apart from the magnitude of the work it assumes. Everyone can see that the parliament is crippled. We do not have a president apart from allotting responsibilities.

We only have this government. The government is among the elements of power which we must guard until a president is elected and a new government is formed.

The third point is putting an end to party, sectarian, and factional instigation. All forms of instigations must be stopped. Where does instigation lead to? Let's take for example the cause of Irsal. Today, I will not say anything though there is much to be said. However, we are part of the people who preferred in this very sensitive moment as far as the political issue, the security issue, the national issue, the issue of the army, the issue of the structure of the country to remain silent though there is much to be said. However, you have seen that if they talk about the armed forces once, they attack Hizbullah 20 times. However is what I am saying of any good? Should I say what I am saying a thousand times, it will make no difference. It will only increase the state of congestion.

Today, I read a piece of news, and I do not know the truth about it. I read that the security forces arrested the person who stands behind the Al Ahrar Al Sunna Brigade website. Does this person really stand behind this website? Who is he? What is his relation with this brigade? With whom is his relation? No matter what the result is, must he be tried in the same way as any other person who is stirring sectarian and factional instigations in Lebanon is tried? That's because some media sides started drawing conclusions based on this arrest. I hope that this would be the beginning in Lebanon, and I hope the trial would cover the politicians too. Let no one say that would harm freedom. In fact, instigation is similar to a booby trapped car. This is not freedom. Sectarian and factional instigation is not freedom. It is rather similar to a booby trapped car. Be responsible as far as this issue is concerned, and an end would be put to instigation.

Fourth come regional reconciliations. Later we would see whether reconciliations would be made concerning the vast political situation or not. However, at least approaches and initiatives must be made among the residents of regions. I will talk in a transparent way. Let's take for example the region of Irsal Baalbeck Al Hermel and its future. O people of Irsal! O dear brothers! The future of Irsal is Baalbeck Al Hermel. Its future is north Bekaa. Its future is not al-Nusra or ISIL and what is taking place behind the borders. That is not your future. Take the experience of Irsal as an example, before the events, during the events, and after the events. Let the people of Irsal talk about what happened with them. I will not talk about that. I am only saying that someone must go and take initiatives for reconciliations there in Irsal, Labweh, Al Ain, Nabi Othman, Qaa, and Ras Baalbeck. The residents of that entire region must reunite and reconcile. This protects against danger or else the danger will invade us all. The first to pay the price and the first to have paid the price are the people of Irsal. Let's go to other regions. The social structure might have been become upset due to the recent events. Something must be done between Jabal Mohsen and Bab Attebanah. Something must be done between Dahiyeh and Chweifat as well as in west Beirut, Sidon, Shebaa, the neighborhood of Shebaa, Rashaya, and Hasbaya. This is a clear topic, and things must be done to address it. Indeed this is a responsibility to be shouldered by everyone and not by the state alone. Leaderships, authorities, parties, and political forces are all concerned as far as this issue is concerned.

Some people do not want to tolerate what I am saying but they must tolerate it. A kind of cooperation with Syria is required as far as the issue of the displaced is concerned at least. It is not true that Syria wants to keep the displaced in Lebanon. It is not also true that we can't find a solution between Lebanon and Syria. However a party can't do that. This must be assumed by both governments and states. We all agree that this is a serious and important file. It is a dangerous file from all perspectives, and I do not want to go into details. Well what is the solution? Is it in delivering speeches? Is the solution in waiting for the fall of the regime in Syria? Is the solution in waiting for the arrival of ISIL? If ISIL takes over, will the displaced return home or will their number increase in Lebanon? What are we waiting for? What are we – all the Lebanese – waiting for as far as this issue is concerned?

There is no need to insist stubbornly. Official talks between Lebanon and Syria are indispensable. They must all sit on the table. The Lebanese must tell the Syrians that there are a million or a million and a half million or whatever Syrian displaced in Lebanon. Well there are secure regions in Syria where people may live and work in a normal way. How are these people to return? Well if there are places where there are crises how can these crises be addressed? We are ready to help as far as this issue is concerned. We must not be satisfied with holding conferences, delivering speeches, and investing the issue of the displaced in political speeches and political conflicts. That does not solve the problem. What puts an end to the dangers we are talking about whether security danger, political danger, or demographic danger as some Christian leaderships say?

To be serious, we have only a very normal condition. These are Syrian displaced, and our borders are the sea, Occupied Palestine and Syria. How do we address this crisis? Shall we send them to Australia for example? Indeed no! We address it by sitting with the Syrians whether you like them or not and whether they agree with your classification of the regime or not. Classify the regime as it appeals to you. However, this is the truth. After all, do all the states that sit together and talk to each other consider each other legitimate and democratic? Now is this the basis for international relations?

We must talk with the Syrians and cooperate with them as far as the file of the displaced is concerned and later on whether we liked it or not as Lebanese and as a Lebanese government as far as the borders set pursuant to Resolution 1701 is concerned. The UNIFIL is not able to do anything neither is the Lebanese Army alone even if all its soldiers were deployed. There are hundreds of kilometers and not only 60 or 70 kilometers. Well, there are some points which you want to convince us of. Well let's find a way to agree with you. There are points which we want to convince you of. So why don't you find a way to agree with us?

The issue is not anymore a source of danger to the Shiah in Lebanon, or the Sunnis in Lebanon, or on the so and so party or the such and such movement, or on Christians or on Druze. The danger is facing us all.

So we must sit together and discuss everything including the presidential entitlement. Indeed if ours became a state with a president and an active parliament and a new government and dynamic institutions, Lebanon's ability to confront this danger would increase.

On my own transparent and clear way, I have to tell you one more thing. Perhaps I took much or your time tonight, but the presidential election is a topic that deserves our attention. Stop moving to and fro to no avail. As far as the presidential election is concerned, you know with whom you must talk. Do not talk with mediators. None of us in March 8 Bloc is a mediator. We are a bloc that supports a definite candidate. Whoever has anything to say knows with whom to talk. So don't waste time. Wasting time is not to the interest of Lebanon. If anyone has anything logical to say let him carry direct dialogue or else what would you be waiting for? Are you waiting for regional changes? Are you waiting for international changes? Nothing has anything to do with the regional or international issue. The side which takes the primary decision as far as the presidential entitlement is concerned is the Lebanese themselves. Let no one wait for a decision from abroad as far as the presidential entitlement is concerned. Let's be clear and precise.

It is also required to give the urgent files a kind of priority. This is required on the humanistic and moral level. Such files include the wages series, the crisis of day workers, the Lebanese University, the water crisis, the electric power crisis… Addressing these crises provide a kind of fortification. That does not mean let's work to confront the existential danger at a time people in villages have no water. Man may stay without electric power but not without water.

Indeed if we cooperate to address these files we would be fortifying our country. We would decrease the chances of tension and the dangers facing the country. This is a group of primary ideas. I do not claim that I set a plot tonight. I am evoking ideas which are debatable. We must altogether sit and see how to discuss these issues. I stress again that talks might be bilateral, threefold, fourfold, or fivefold. However, they must not be a dialogue table to be broadcast on TV outlets and to be watched by the audience and that would be the end of the story. As such we would not be holding serious, responsible, and faithful discussions. As for us, we are a group which is ready to partake in such talks and ready to make sacrifices. We are a group which is ready to offer sacrifices. We offer martyrs daily. We have wounded daily in this battle. We never refrained from offering sacrifices to our people, our country, our sanctities, and our nation.

See the families of the honorable martyrs. The family which has a lonely son would write you saying: "Why are you preventing my son from partaking in the battle. It is a battle of honor. It is a battle of dignity. It is a battle of existence. As for us, we are ready to offer sacrifices. I even have more to tell you. As for waiting for the results of discussions, had the Lebanese waited for reaching a national consensus over the resistance, Israel would have been today in Beirut and in Tripoli. Had the Lebanese, the Syrians, the Egyptians, and the Palestinians waited for an Arab consensus over the issue of the resistance, Israel would have been today controlling the area between the Nile and the Euphrates.

I will wrap up my speech in two clear brief words.

The first word I would like to address all the Lebanese with and all the peoples of the region with is that ISIL and those behind them may be defeated with utmost ease. It is not an incredible mission at all. Well, the battle with Israel is much more difficult than the battle with ISIL. Part of the battle with ISIL is psychological, meaningless collapses, and being penetrated. I really do not wish to go into details.

Is it possible to confront this danger? Is it possible to topple this track? Yes, this track has no future in the region. However, we can't say this track has no future in the region while we spend our time making pleasure trips. This track would have no future in the region if the Iraqis unite and assume responsibility, the Syrians unite and assume responsibility, and the Lebanese unite and assume responsibility. This issue is similar to the Israeli issue in face of which every Arab country must assume its responsibility. In all of my speech I was telling you that it is easy to defeat this project if we were responsible. However, this project might gain victory if we buried our heads in the sand. This project may invade and control states if the opposing side was frustrated, desperate, frightened, and horrified.

We must not fall into this state. Thus on the anniversary of July War, I call for a responsible national Arab stance on the Lebanese level, on the level of the government, on the level of the army, on the level of constitutional entitlements, on the popular level, and on the media and political level. Well, yes we are fit and able to guard our country and to defend our country so that our country remains proud, strong, noble, and honorable, and so that its components are guarded, and so that its mosques, churches, and sects are preserved. All of that might remain and might not be harmed. This is possible and not incredible no matter who stands behind ISIL.

The second thing I would like to say and be clear in saying is that if anyone abandoned his responsibility we will not abandon our responsibility. We will not migrate to any other place in the world. We will not hold any other nationality. We will not leave this land at all. We will remain here. We will remain here raising our heads high. Here we will live, and if fighting is imposed on us, here we will fight. Here we will be martyred and here we will be buried. This is our choice. As for the other Lebanese who would have this choice, we are ready to overlook all the past and all the conflicts between us.

Today, our country, the components of our people, our state, and our existence is in danger. We must assume this responsibility. As such we may guard our blood and the blood of all those who were martyred in like these days. As such we may guard the sufferings and the aspirations of all those who suffered and nurtured aspirations in like these days. As a Lebanese people, we are all fit to our country. We are all fit to defend our country. We are all fit to gain victory. So let's make victory. We will not bury our heads in the sand. We will not be defeated. We will not run away. Let no one pack his bag and tell us he wants to migrate. Let's stay here so that this country persists to be. Let's change the path of the region as July War changed the path of the region. This small Lebanon will change the path of the region.

Felicitations anew on this day of victory! Inshallah we will be moving towards more victories with the blessings of seriousness, faithfulness, and readiness to offer sacrifices. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.

Speech of Hezbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah during al-Quds Day Ceremony on July 25, 2014

In His Name

I take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be upon the Seal of Prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi Al Qassem Mohammad, on his chaste and pure Household, on his chosen companions and on all messengers and prophets.

Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

First, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for your attendance despite all the supposed security risks during the Holy Month of Ramadan. We as well as many others cancelled collective and popular Iftar dinners to spare burdens and to save the lives of people. However, all the developments in Gaza, the events in Gaza, and the specialty of al-Quds International Day which is commemorated on this very day made it obligatory to meet today and here in this very place where we used to hold the funerals of our martyrs, receive our detainees, hold the ceremonies of victory for our resistance and express our stances.

Also first and before ushering in the occasion, I would like to express our true condolences and feelings of pain and sorrow to the Lebanese families who lost yesterday dear families and members of families from various families and various regions in the painful event of the Algerian plane.

Furthermore, I would like to salute the souls of Gaza martyrs, wounded, fighters, heroes, and steadfast people on this day that coincides with July War 2006. As such, we find it our obligation to salute the souls of our martyrs, the families of the martyrs, the wounded, the resistance men, and our resilient people who are moving along on this path and are fighting in more than one square to preserve the resistance, the strongholds of the resistance, and the axis of the resistance which represents the only hope.

Brothers and sisters! Al-Quds Day was announced by late Imam Khomeini (May Allah sanctify his secret) and asserted by His Eminence Sayyed Ali Khamenai (May Allah prolong his life span) on the last Friday in the Holy Month of Ramadan to be a motivation and a reminder of the central cause, so that al-Quds and Palestine remain in our hearts, minds, intellect, culture, conscience, memory, work, and priorities.

Imam Khomeini (May Allah sanctify his secret) designated the last Friday of the Holy Month of Ramadan with all the holiness it represents to assert the sanctity of this cause as well as its human, divine, and Islamic aspects. Day after day, the importance of this announcement is being manifested as well as the dire need to mark this day by the nation. When we view today the status of the nation, we feel the importance of this announcement, this occasion, this ceremony, this responsibility, and this culture especially following the Zionist occupation of Palestine and its control over all of historic occupied Palestine from the sea to the river besides expanding to other Arab territories. Since then, the Zionists and the Zionist leaders had a primary concern and target for which they worked for long years and are still working. This target is to liquidate and cancel the Palestinian cause, to consider that there are no Palestinian people, that the land of Palestine is no more the land of Palestine but rather Israel, and that al-Quds is no more of any importance to Muslims and Christians alike, and that it became the eternal capital of the Jewish state.

The goal that follows the occupation is liquidating and eliminating the Palestinian cause. It was absolutely out of question for the Zionists and their leaders to return one meter of the land of Palestine to its owners or to return one Palestinian refugee to his home. Thus we notice that the Israeli consensus on al-Quds and on preventing the return of refugees is absolute.

According to the Israeli scheme, this is at least what Palestine is to them. They knew that a cause with such a magnitude, a holy land like Palestine, and a proud people like the Palestinian people can't be eliminated and canceled in a year or two or from the first or second generation. Thus they set a long-range scheme to achieve this goal and make it come true. Anyone of us can analyze what took place following 1948 and 1967 until our very day so as to discover the landmarks and steps of this long-range scheme to liquidate the Palestinian cause. This was always the dream of the Americans, the west, and the Zionists. For example, the Zionists and their masters used to believe that the Arab land is vast and that it would be easy to grasp, settle, naturalize, and fuse a hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, or a million Palestinian refugees – as was the number first – in the Arab societies whether in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, the Gulf countries….

This risk was and is still valid, and it is still hovering over the Palestinian refugees.

Creating other central causes for every country, for every people, for every region, and for every state in our Arab and Islamic world is another example. This aims at absenting the central status of Palestine and al-Quds and imposing other concerns and priorities. The enemy managed to achieve this goal to a great extent. We must not suppose that our enemy is always unsuccessful. No! He would be unsuccessful if we sought to make him so. However, if we left him alone, or if we were neutral, or if some among us assisted him – as what is taking place in the Arab and Islamic world – the enemy would be able to make achievements and consequently, the enemy managed to create central causes other than the Palestinian cause to our peoples, countries, and regions.

Today, Gaza is being slaughtered while other priorities prevail in other Arab countries such as the issues of gas jars, gasoline, food supplies, and wages. These are rightful demands but "Israel" wants these to become the crucial cause so that the Palestinian cause would be forgotten.

For example, they created enemies all the way. Once, the enemy would be the Soviet Union. Later, it would be international communism. Then, the priority would be fighting in Afghanistan. Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the priority became fighting Iran. So all the way, the enemy was creating enemies and wars to exhaust the nation on the human, materialistic, and psychological levels via these wars.

Another example is isolating the Palestinian people. Isolating the Palestinian people from the other peoples in the region and in the neighborhood is the most dangerous thing they achieved in the past years or the past decade. What does isolation means?

It means isolating the Palestinian people on the emotional, psychological, and field levels as well through hurling the Palestinians in struggles or confrontations or conflicts or enmities with the neighboring peoples and states and imposing these struggles and conflicts on them. In this framework, indeed I am not holding anyone responsible. However, we always need to make revisions especially as far as this issue is concerned. In fact, people in the region, in the Arab world, as well as in the Islamic world have reached a state in which Palestine or anything Palestinian no longer means anything to them. This is being witnessed in some Arab media unfortunately. I will tackle this point again when talking about Gaza.

Even in Lebanon, this is widely being exploited. Do you still remember in previous occasions when I used to tell you that they deliberately choose a Palestinian suicide bomber to plant grudge, enmity, and disparity between the Palestinians and us? Weeks ago, when the issue of Rassoul Azam Hospital was evoked, it was out of hand to contain what was being circulated in the media to the effect that a tunnel was discovered from Burj Al Barajineh Camp to Rassoul Azam Hospital.

These are not trivial details. This is part of a black room that has been in action for decades and years to break any relations or links between the Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis, Egyptians, and…on one hand and the Palestinians on the other. So that the former would tell the Palestinians that they themselves must address their problems and find out what to do.

Another example is imposing mobile political, economic, social, and security events as well as wars, sieges, and massacres on the Palestinians locally and in exodus to lead the Palestinian people to despair and frustration as well as the loss of choices, and consequently to yield to the fait accompli and to accept the least offered after all.

Indeed these are examples; or else as I said, man can make a list and recall all what took place during decades and say that they did so here; they did so and so there; they stopped here; they made an achievement there on the level of this goal which is toppling the Palestinian cause as a central cause and working at eliminating and canceling it and isolating the Palestinian people…

However, despite all what took place and despite all the conspiracies, tragedies, and challenges, the Palestinian cause continues to impose itself on the region and the world, and what is taking place in Gaza today is clear evidence on this conclusion.

This war and this cause still impose itself on the region and on the world despite all of these conspiracies and challenges for many reasons on top of which is the Palestinian people. Another example is the steadfastness of some Arab states especially Syria which did not succumb to the settlement and the conditions of the settlement following Madrid Conference and rather adopted and supported for the resistance. Another example is the victory of the blessed Islamic Revolution in Iran under Imam Khomeini (May Allah sanctify his secret). This revolution adopted Palestine, al-Quds, the Palestinian people, and the Palestinian resistance. Another example is the resistance movements in Lebanon and their victories in Lebanon and their toppling of several US and Israeli schemes for Lebanon and the region. However, the main reason remains the Palestinian people because they remained unyielding despite all the pains, sufferings, wounds, massacres, and the elements of despair, frustration and closed horizons. The Palestinian people did not yield to despair, suppression, and surrender. They did not forget the keys of the houses that usually the grandfather inherits to the father and the father to the son. This is part of a psychological plan. So whether man puts a plan or not this is how things go by instinct or by nature.

Whether inside Palestine, in exodus, or in camps, and despite all the harsh living conditions, the temptations of immigration and its open gates to Canada, Australia, and Europe that aim at disintegrating and disjointing this Palestinian human assembly, the Palestinian people still adhere to their land, cause, sanctities, homes, and fields and refuse to give up and be oppressed.

The Palestinian people are still doing so. Their choice was to remain steadfast, to adhere to their rights, to fight to restore their rights, and to assume the consequences of this path and choice.

Since the very beginning – 1948 and 1967 – the various Palestinian resistance factions apart from their ideological, intellectual, and political orientations, as well as the Palestinian people are still assuming this cause and struggling for it.

Indeed, I am talking about a long-range plot or scheme on which the United States, the west, and the Israelis are working and are being assisted by many Arab regimes along decades. This must be recorded. So it is not now. The thrones of many Arab regimes were conditional to protecting Israel, the existence of Israel, and defending Israel. This program is still valid and active, and what many of our states and peoples are witnessing and the conditions we reached bear witness on this active program. Moreover, what we are experiencing today as a nation and as an Ummah is the most dangerous situation ever since the occupation of Palestine due to the systematic destruction that took place in our region. It started with faithful, truthful, and kind popular revolutions with causes and demands. However, some sides rode the wave and steered it in the direction that appeals to them. What we are witnessing today in our region is a systematic destruction of states, armies, peoples, and societies too. We were talking about the destruction of states and the destruction of armies. However, today we are witnessing the destruction of peoples and communities and their disintegration on the psychological, social, and emotional levels. Enmities which can't be addressed in decades and centuries are being fabricated. This is not something easy at all.

What is taking place in more than one Arab country today and the risks threatening the other Arab countries too are not easy at all. For example, Syria was – and will Inshallah remain - a strong wall in face of the Zionist scheme.

Syria was the strong wall and will remain the strong wall in face of the Zionist project. It was the strong bosom embracing the resistance and the Palestinian cause. We all know the magnitude of the war imposed on Syria. Iraq has also entered a dim tunnel in the name of Islam and Islamic Caliphate unfortunately. Tens of thousands of Christian families were displaced from Iraq. Christian churches are being destroyed. Moreover, the Sunnis who disagree with ISIL have no choices. It is either pledging allegiance to ISIL or being slaughtered. The Shia who disagree or do not disagree with ISIL have no choice except being slaughtered because they are accused of apostasy. The same is the case of the religious and racial minorities. See what they are being subject to in Mosel and the regions where ISIL prevails whether in Iraq or in Syria.

Today – on al-Quds Day – we, as Muslims and as an Islamic movement, must declare our condemnation to what Christians are being subject to in Iraq as well as to what Muslims are being subject to in Iraq. We also condemn what the shrines of prophets – such as Prophet Yunus and Prophet Danial – are being subject to. Even in categorization these are categorized as Sunni entailments and not as Shia entailments in Iraq. I want to express to you personal fears as far as this issue is concerned. I fear this scene of demolition of mosques, churches, worshipping places, and shrines including the shrines of prophets might be furnishing an international psychological atmosphere to what is more dangerous – the demolition of Al Aqsa Mosque. If the claimed Islamic Caliphate has the right to demolish mosques and churches and the shrines of prophets, why don't the Jews have the right to demolish Al Aqsa Mosque?! I fear this might turn to be something familiar and normal. I am not drawing conclusions or making judgments. However, things will become common, normal, and familiar as if nothing is taking place. Demolishing mosques, churches, and shrines of prophets and entombing activities are becoming something common.

Today our nation is in its worst state. However, the first victim is Palestine. The primary target was and is still the Palestinian cause. All of us must know where we put our feet in this time of ordeal, conspiracy, liquidation, and the fusion of what is right with what is wrong. We must be very careful to see where we put our feet, what we say, what we do, where we fight, where we make peace, and where we make war. This is the great challenge which our nation is facing, especially the peoples of the region neighboring Palestine and in Palestine.

In this framework comes the Israeli terroristic war on Gaza that has been waged for days by now. In this framework was the war on Lebanon in 2006 and on Gaza in 2008. What has the target of the war always been?

Succumbing, humiliating, breaking, surrendering, disarming, snatching all the elements of power you have, leading you to frustration, and convincing you that there is no choice except yielding to the Israeli conditions.

However, in 2006 and 2008 the results were different. Today in Lebanon and marking July War, we can understand and comprehend, and feel absolutely all what is taking place in Gaza and on our people in Gaza in July 2014. That's because it is the same thing that happened with us in July 2006, starting with the pretext of kidnapping the three settlers which is similar to the pretext of the two captives. Let's start with the pretext for the war. Is this the reason behind the war? Israel wants to seize the opportunity. Israel thought that the Gaza Strip has been besieged for years. Taking the regional situation, the international situation, the psychological and moral situation into consideration, Israel thought that now it is a historic golden opportunity to make Gaza succumb, to break Gaza, and to put an end to it before Israel. This was the very same project of the war of July 2006 which was to bring along a Neo Middle East. You still remember Ms. Condoleezza Rice. Now the Israelis wanted to exploit the issue of kidnapping the three settlers which so far it is not known who kidnapped and killed them. At least in 2006, it was known who kidnapped the two soldiers. However, here the oppression is that a kidnapping operation took place and the Palestinians or the resistance movements were accused of it. Thus the Israelis took this as a pretext to wage a war at this timing. So the pretext of kidnapping the settlers, the air war, the thousands of aerial raids, the continuous artillery shelling, the battleship shelling, the perpetration of massacres, the killing of women, children, and civilians, and the demolition of houses, schools, and mosques are all similar to what took place in Lebanon during July war 2006 as we all remember. However, in Lebanon, they also demolished churches. They also displaced people from their houses. Recall also the field operation that started few days ago, the international community silence (or the silence of part of the international community), the connivance of part of the international community. The USA has been covering this war since the first moment. It is also providing it with money, weapons, media, and the political stance. The west too is offering its support as well as the Security Council and the United Nations. This is besides the connivance and silence of some Arab regimes. That is in addition to holding the resistance responsible for the blood, the martyrs, and what is befalling the Gaza Strip and acquitting the enemy from these crimes and massacres.

However on the contrary, see this marvelous popular steadfastness and this adherence and betting by the people of Gaza on the resistance, this enormous tolerance of pain, suffering, wounds, killing, and displacement. See this qualitative and outstanding performance of the Palestinian factions. See this political steadfastness in face of all of these international and regional pressures. However, after all, I tell our people in Gaza, our Palestinian people, you, and all the listeners: Who or what resolve this stance? It is a tripartite equation as compared to the golden tripartite equation: the field, the popular steadfastness, and the political steadfastness. This is what would resolve the issue.

The Israelis are benefiting from previous experiences and morals. In July War 2006, the Israelis from the first day put very high goals. Then they started to make concessions. However, in the last week of the war, who was begging to reach the end of the war? It was the Israelis. Why? See the memoirs of George Bush and the memoirs of Condoleezza Rice. In the last two weeks, Ehud Olmert was contacting them saying that if they continued with the war, Israel would be eliminated.

Humbly speaking, even we in the resistance in Lebanon do not comprehend this conclusion – how it would be that if the war continued Israel would be eliminated?

This is at a time, Israel was being told by some Arab regimes to carry on in the war and crush the resistance. This is being reiterated these days. Carry on in the war and crush them or at least impose on them humiliating conditions. Do not stop.

However, the Israelis themselves came to be convinced that they are not able to carry on with the war. They sought help from the Americans. When the Americans have a serious will, the entire region gets along, and it did, and things were settled. Isn't this what took place in July War? This is what changed the equation: the battlefield of the heroic resistance fighters, the popular steadfastness of women, children, men, and civilians in all the regions, especially the regions which were targeted with shelling and killing, and the political steadfastness.

Today, I also say that in this war, the hope is available before the Palestinians. If it was to the USA, the west, and to many of the Arabs, they would have acted according to this principle: This is a chance: get rid of them. Some people tell you to get rid of Hamas. They do not want to get rid of Hamas only. Be careful. They want to get rid of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and all the Palestinian factions. The target in Gaza is the resistance, the arms of the resistance, the will of the resistance, the culture of the resistance, and the hope in the resistance.

At one day, the resistance may have one title. On the other day, the title of the resistance may change. What took place in Lebanon is similar to what took place in Palestine. The titles are numerous but the goal is not only Hamas. The goal is the entire resistance in Palestine, every tunnel in Gaza, every rocket in Gaza, every Kalashnikov in Gaza, every gun in Gaza, and even every drop of resisting blood that moves in the veins of the people of Gaza. This is the goal now. In the horizon, a time would come when the Israelis would reach a place in which they can jot continue. This is what took place in Gaza 2006. When they were not able to get along they turned to the Americans: We want a way out. This is what took place in 2006.

Indeed, the resolution in the Security Council is condemning the resistance. However what is important is what would happen after the condemnation. This is what is important.

Today I say that Gaza now, while it is holding the funerals of its martyrs and fighting, has gained victory according to the logic of the resistance. It is now the 18th day of the war while the Zionists along with all the world have failed to achieve one goal from the goals of the aggression on Gaza. That means that the resistance gained victory in Gaza. Here I am telling you from our knowledge and as partners that the resistance in Gaza is able to make victory and will make victory Inshallah. Now we will make an evaluation and end with issuing our stance.

Take into consideration that the battle is taking place between two sides in the battlefield and that the Israeli side is one of the strongest armies in the world. However, the most important point is that following July War 2006 in Lebanon and Gaza War in 2008, this army formed committees. You still remember Winograd – don't you? They made committees, drew lessons, and made discussions. Since 2006 until our very day, they are holding drills, maneuvers, getting armed, getting prepared, and gathering information. That means what they prepared in eight years was an establishment for a new strong army. This is on one hand. On the other hand, there is a strip with a narrow space. It is a coastal line with a plain land. What is more dangerous is that it is besieged for years by now. The siege imposed on it is of the tightest kind. Taking into consideration these two sides, what do we see before us? We see the Israeli failure on one hand and the achievements of the resistance on the other:

On the Israeli side we see:

Israeli confusion in defining the goal in the operation or in the war. So far, did anyone understand what the goal of the war is?

They have implicit goals which I mentioned a little while ago. However, what is the announced goal? Is it the same as the implicit goal? No! They did not start the war with a high ceiling. Why? Be careful. That's because they are afraid. From the very beginning they are afraid from failure. That means that they are benefiting from the War in Lebanon. In Lebanon, they started with the goal of eliminating the resistance, handing in its arms, expelling the resistance from the south or at least from the south of Litany River, and handing in the two captives unconditionally. Now do you realize that the Israelis did not talk about the Israeli soldier captive so far? They are still silent on him. So they did not start with a high ceiling. Why did not they start with a high ceiling? It is supposed that they are taking lessons from all the previous experiences. It is supposed that they have rebuilt their army. Indeed, I don't mean to make an interpretation by what I am saying. I am tackling it because it has to do with Gaza and it is related to Lebanon too as well as to the entire region. I will tackle this later. So the Israelis did not dare to announce goals. They did not even say that the land operation aimed at demolishing the tunnels at the borders. That means that they are putting humble goals so that they would achieve them and thus say: We realized the aim from the war. So there is Israeli confusion in specifying the goal.

Enormous information failure:

It is supposed that the Israeli information capabilities be absolute from the land, air, and sea concerning the abilities of the resistance and its arms, rockets, storehouses, the places of storing and manufacturing rockets, rocket platforms, and the location of tunnels. However, it was revealed that there is an enormous Israeli information failure.

Israeli air force failure to put a decisive end to the battle:

This is very important to Gaza as well as to Lebanon. Why am I saying that it is important to Lebanon? If you are following the Israeli media, at the time the enemy is fighting in Gaza, they are talking about Lebanon War II and Lebanon War III. The war is in Gaza now, but the enemy is looking at your eyes. How are you reading the war in Gaza, and what are the lessons you are drawing from the war on Gaza? Well, months ago the Israeli air force leader who seemed to have taken his post recently and was still inexperienced said that following all the rebuilding efforts, the Israeli air force is able to put a decisive end to any war on Lebanon – in case it takes place – within 24 hours, and to put a decisive end to any war on Gaza – in case it takes place – within 12 hours. I am saying so because I doubt that the Lebanese were following the Israeli statements made during the past months. They were busy somewhere else. Well now we are on which day in the war on Gaza? It is day 18. The Israeli air force is talking about Gaza which is under siege. Well, the Israelis failed to harm the leadership and control system in Gaza. With our respect to the martyrs, the enemy is fabricating leader martyrs. At times, the enemy talks about assassinating leaders who are still alive. The Israelis have reached this situation. They have failed to halt the rockets and to prevent its launching though Israeli warplanes are in the horizons as well as radars, unmanned aerial vehicles and all what is related to the information and survey apparatuses are at the service of the Israelis. We as well as you know what does launching rockets in a fighting atmosphere of this kind is. The enemy also failed in the land operation. It is enough to quote what some Israeli commentators said. One commentator said: "Our army failed." So it is not I – the Lebanese man who loves the resistance and is its ally – who is saying so. It is the enemy on the tongue of one of the important commentators in the Israeli entity. He said: "Our army failed. Hamas and Jihad remained steadfast and killed the backbone of the infantry brigade." What does he mean in that? Golani Brigade and Egoz Unit.

The Israelis failed in the land operation. The magnitude of the losses in leaders, generals, soldiers, tanks, and vehicles is enormous. They feel much awe from staging a broad land operation. This is what we see in the face of Netanyahu, the chief of staff, Yaalon, and all of their faces. It is they who are besieged though they are the stronger power. They are afraid, terrified, and scared from this step. Thus from the very beginning and because of the lack of confidence in themselves and in their soldiers, the Israelis resorted to killing civilians and children, to targeting the incubating environment of the resistance, and to break the will of the people as was the case in Lebanon during July War. Their dream was to see demonstrations in the south or Bekaa or Beirut or Dahiyeh or in any other place in Lebanon staged especially by those displaced from their houses calling on the resistance to reach a ceasefire or to yield. However, thanks to you – O the most honorable, dignified, and proud people – that did not take in July War. Today they are repeating this experience anew in Gaza Strip to impose on the leadership of the resistance - the political leadership and the field leadership – to accept for whatever price a ceasefire or to succumb. That means that when the Israeli Army went to Gaza, they did not go as a fighting army but rather as an army fighting children. This is how we knew it in Lebanon and that was its case all through the past years and decades.

As a final conclusion for the Israeli evaluation we recall what Ehud Barak and the Israeli War Minister Peretz in the first cabinet after Olmert left his post said.

After years or working and drawing lessons and morals, what did Ehud Barak say and was also reiterated by Israeli chiefs of staff? It is a short phrase. Now this phrase fell before the gates of Gaza. Indeed, he was threatening Lebanon at that time. He said that the next war which Israel would get engaged in would be rapid and decisive and would end up in a crystal clear victory.

Today Gaza is telling them; "You are still where you were. You do not fight except in fortified towns or from behind walls. You are still chicken-hearted cowards who hide before planes and tanks and kill children. However, if you are to face our fighters and heroes face to face, you flop and your army flops too."

So this is the fact: no rapid victory, no decisive victory, and no crystal clear victory.

On the other hand, let's see the status of the resistance and its people:

1 – From the very first day, the goal is clear: lifting the siege and indeed guarding the resistance.

2 - Steadfastness in the field.

3 – Excellent achievements in the field.

4 – Taking initiatives in the field and fighting behind the enemy lines.

5 – Proceeding in rocket shelling under the enormous pressure of air force shelling.

6 – Shelling rockets that are reaching unprecedented places. Indeed, comparing between July War in Lebanon and July War in Gaza necessitates taking the different conditions and characteristics into consideration though there are common points. In July War, the farthest point we reached was Al Khadeira. However, our brethrens in Gaza from the first day reached Tel Aviv. This is the first time in which rockets are launched from inside Palestine to targets inside Palestine to cover the entire area of Palestine. This is a marvelous achievement. Why did I say that we know, understand, and feel with what is taking in Gaza? Now some people may say that the Palestinians launched 100 rockets. It is a phrase that would simply be written in the media. What does "100 rockets" mean? That means carrying them, manufacturing them, hiding them, preparing them, and protecting them. This requires enormous efforts and trusting in God, in themselves, and in the resistance besides popular steadfastness and wide incubation. So far, they did not witness in Gaza any demonstration, sit-in, stance, or popular pressure against the resistance. On the contrary, the people are telling the resistance: We are with you. Let's all be killed but let the siege be lifted. We notice the political steadfastness and refusing all the enormous international and regional pressures. What does it mean that the Palestinian resistance leadership refuses to reach a cease-fire since the very first days while it is offering martyrs from among women, children, and civilians while the Israelis are making haste to reach a cease-fire? This has great political, moral, and military implications. See also the popular uprising in the West Bank that started offering martyrs. Thus through the tripartite equation of the field, popular steadfastness, and political steadfastness things would lead to imposing new equations on the enemy and this requires some time.

Brothers and sisters! It is not easy for Netanyahu and Israel to give in to a Palestinian victory and to give the Palestinian resistance this achievement. I am sure that some Arab leaders are now contacting Netanyahu and calling on them to carry on and not to give the Palestinians an achievement or a victory. However after all, Israel does not work for some Arab leaders. Israel searches for its security, economic, and political interests. So the resistance is the side that would impose on the Israelis the solution as was the case in July 2006, and the Israelis would shout and call on the Americans to find a way out for the crisis. This is what is seen in the horizon.

The final part tackles our responsibility towards this great event:

Let's put aside all the disputes, discrepancies, and disagreements over the other causes and squares. We may still disagree on the political stance or on other squares. We may differ in our stance. We may differ in our evaluation. However, we must put all of this aside to approach altogether the issue of Gaza as a cause of a people, a resistance, and a rightful, just cause with nothing obscure, uncertain, or equivocal about it concerning what is right and what is wrong. That's because some may say we must go back to other places. No there is nothing obscure or disputable about that. Neither the mind nor the religion nor values say that this war taking place now in Gaza is disputable. Thus let's approach it as a cause of a people, a resistance, and a rightful and just cause. Even if we still disagree on other issues, Gaza with its blood, body limbs, oppression, steadfastness, and heroism must remain above every other consideration.

Unfortunately, from the very first day, we are hearing stances on some Arab media outlets which accuse the resistance and hold it responsible for the blood and the continuity of the war evoking people against it. Some Arabs were also rash enough to express through some media outlets their sympathy with the Israelis and the Israeli Army. They were calling on the Israelis to give the finishing stroke to Hamas. This is something shameful and sorrowful. No matter what discrepancies were, it is sorrowful and even shameful to watch an Arab person on an Arab media outlet expressing his sympathy with the Israeli soldiers who are killing children in Gaza because of political disputes. At least let those who do not want to show sympathy with the Palestinians remain silent. Let those who do not want to show sympathy with the Palestinians and support them remain silent and spare themselves and their nation this shame.

2 – Let the largest number of Arab and Islamic governments adopt the goal of lifting the siege from Gaza which the Palestinian resistance leadership is calling for, protecting this goal, defending it, and defending the political leadership of the resistance from pressures practiced on it to reach a ceasefire without achieving this goal. That's because the siege is daily death for the Palestinians in Gaza. It is not killing for 18 days; it is killing around the years with no horizon or future.

3 – What I will say now has been repeatedly reiterated. Let everyone offer the political, moral, media, financial, and materialistic support and arms support if possible according to his capabilities and also apart from the existing discrepancies.

We must remind here that some bids are taking place. We must recall here that Iran and Syria along with the resistance in Lebanon and especially Hizbullah, according to its capacities, have for long years made everything possible to support all the factions of the Palestinian resistance whether on the political, media, moral, financial, materialistic, arms, training, logistic, or the various experiences level. Today, there are some sides which are not doing anything positive to Gaza and Palestine apart from wasting their time in bids. Who is standing next to the Palestinian people and Gaza and who is not? I do not want to get engaged in quarrels with anyone. However, it is enough to any neutral person to calmly make a list for the states and movements under the axis of the resistance and another list for the others whether they are states, organizations, movements… Then let him make a review over the past decades. What did the axis of the resistance offer to Palestine, al-Quds, and the Palestinian people? blood, sacrifices, getting engaged in wars and struggles for the sake of Palestine, offering support and capabilities despite all the risks, dangers, and consequences in the world, sieges, sanctions, and wars which were mainly imposed because of Palestine.

On the other hand, let the others see what did they do for the sake of Palestine? Where did they fight for the sake of al-Quds? What did they offer the Palestinian people? Moreover, what did they offer for all the other wars? What did they offer in all the other squares that serve Israel and see to eliminate the Palestinian cause which I talked about first? I do not want to say more than this in this atmosphere of overbidding.

Confronting this event, we in Hizbullah were and will always stand next to the Palestinian people – all of the Palestinian people – and next to the resistance in Palestine – all of the factions and the resistance movements in Palestine with no exception.

We in Hizbullah never spared any kind of support and assistance which we could offer. We in Hizbullah feel we are true partners in this resistance – we are partners in jihad, brotherhood, hopes, pains, sacrifices, and fate too. That's because their victory is a victory to us – all of us – and their defeat is a defeat for us – all of us.

We in Hizbullah are following all the minute details of the events of the battle taking place now in Gaza and Palestine. We are following all the field and political developments. Hereof, we tell our brethrens in Gaza: We are with you and next to you. We are confident in your steadfastness and victory. We will do all what we find our obligation to do on all levels.

To the spider web – to the Zionists – I say: You in Gaza today are moving to and fro in the sphere of failure. Do not go further to the sphere of suicide and collapse.

Until another date for the victory of the resistance and the people of the resistance and the resistance movements, I bid you farewell. May Allah guard you, bestow victory on you, and protect you. Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.