Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah delivered a speech during the annual Iftar dinner of the "Islamic Resistance Support Organization" on Friday.

Sara Taha Moughnieh

 

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah delivered a speech during the annual Iftar dinner of the "Islamic Resistance Support Organization" on Friday, in which he reiterated the importance of national dialogue in order to agree on a defense strategy, and the importance of preserving the Lebanese Army.

Sayyed Nasrallah referred to the Islamic Resistance's major role during the past years, especially the after the July 1993 aggression, April 1996 aggression, and the years after, in achieving agreements that protected citizens and imposed a balance with the enemy.

His eminence stressed that these achievements by the Islamic Resistance were the result of its right vision, it's clear goals, duty, and path, as well as its faith, determination, and will.

"Let me assure that this resistance is based on reason, and the achieved victories affirm the effectiveness of the resistance," he said, indicating that "No one can give Lebanon guarantees for protecting it from Israeli threats. What protects this country is self-dependence and ensuring means of power which deter the enemy."

Sayyed Nasrallah further stressed that the resistance got its strength from the people who did not look at it as a party or organization, but as a public determination which they sacrificed their children and loved ones for.

Anyone who tries to eliminate the resistance will fail

Sayyed Nasrallah wondered if someone believed that Lebanon was no longer exposed to Israel threats, stressing that if someone believed so, this would be a "misfortune", as Israel's greediness has no end.

His eminence reassured that whoever tried to break or isolate the resistance has failed in achieving that, because this resistance is not an organization or a party, but a public determination which is ready for sacrifices.

"The noble people in this country have invested in the resistance with their most precious and loved ones, with their children and blood, hence, this resistance is not a faction that you can siege or isolate," he added.

Enemy's eye on Galilee before Beirut

Hezbollah Secretary General stated that the resistance is capable of overcoming all the difficulties, as the enemy is reviewing all its plans and calculations after what happened in the last couple of months.

He indicated that "in any coming war, the enemy's eye will be on Galilee before Beirut… and from now on, no one can assault Lebanon without paying a price."

Sayyed Nasrallah considered that what the resistance has been exposed to was the result of its victories against the Zionist entity.

"The resistance, which triumphed in 1982, 2000, and 2006, was able to destroy the "New Middle East" project. Hence, it was natural to be targeted. In addition to the military confrontation with the enemy, we were being targeted on the military, security, cultural, and social levels," he added, pointing out that "when the resistance does not get targeted, this means it is ineffective and the enemy does not fear it."

Always ready for dialogue… There is serious need for defense strategy

Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that Hezbollah was ready for dialogue under any form, to come out with a national defense strategy.

"We proposed a number of national defense strategies, but no one discussed them on the dialogue table. This is because they don’t discuss the national defense strategy seriously, all they want is "Hey guys, give us your weapons and may God give you wellness"," his eminence said, indicating that "their denial even got them to claim that Hezbollah did not propose any defense strategy".

A call for staying cautious and preserving the Army

Internally, his eminence stressed the importance of staying cautious, especially amid the latest political and security developments, and the intense division.

Sayyed Nasrallah assured that "if the Army was destroyed or divided, there would no longer be peace and stability in the country, and if the Army was fractured, there would no longer be a state or a country. Therefore, our call today is to neutralize this institution, which we also call for strengthening and bracing."

"Let us preserve the Army and not break it up. When a mistake falls, let us correct it, but most importantly, we should preserve this institution , and this is one of the most important national duties at this stage," he added, remembering that "In 1993, the Army attacked citizens on the streets, killing and injuring numbers, yet, neither people nor Hezbollah pointed weapons at the Army."

Addressing media outlets, Sayyed Nasrallah said: "Let's put a limit to the "urgent stories" by media on explosives found in this place and that place, because most of them are false, and they are only part of a psychological war".

Exclusion theories have failed

Hezbollah Secretary General assured that all the exclusion and isolation theories did not reach anywhere.

"We must negotiate and find ways out, No matter how much the enmity was, we must meet with each other," he stressed, concluding: "In this Holy Month, and despite all the political disputes and accusations, I say that our hand is extended and we are ready for dialogue…"

"This doesn’t mean that if we hold dialogue things would be easy, but at least we would be in a better situation," he indicated.