In an interview with Al-Manar Website Brigadier General Amin Hoteit said July War achieved an immense change and that Irael is unable to carry out its war decision

Brigadier General Amin Hoteit to Al-Manar Website:
Israel Took War Decision… Unable to Carry It Out
July War Achieved Most Important Change since 1948
Other Bloc Frustrated… Seeks to Satisfy US, Israel
War Turned to Be Israeli Strategic Necessity
Hezbollah Surprised Israel through Counterattack
Resistance Arms Protect Lebanon, Not Discussion Topic
Tribunal Tool to Target Resistance, Relieve Israel
Israel is Product of United Nations, under Its Protection

Expert in military and strategic affairs Brigadier General Amin Hoteit said there would be no Israeli new war in the region in the imminent future. He noted that Israel has taken the war decision at the moment it suspended hostilities in August 2006 but that it was unable to carry out this decision because it perceives it’s unable to achieve victory.

In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar Website on the fifth anniversary of the July war and the resistance’s victory, Hoteit said that the July war has achieved the most important strategic change since 1948. He explained that the power, created in 1948, was uncovered by the Resistance in 2006, raising question marks about Israel’s ability to hold out.

While noting that the discussion of the Resistance arms was useless, he expressed belief that the other bloc was frustrated to the degree that it doesn’t find a thing to do, other than what satisfied the United States and the Israeli enemy.

Hoteit also said that the international tribunal, charged with trying the so-called suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, was created by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with the aim of protecting Israel by targeting who topple its fighting strategy, in reference to the Resistance.

ISRAEL UNABLE TO ACHIEVE VICTORY IN NEW WAR
The Brigadier General, who spoke to Al-Manar Website on the eve of the Dignity and Victory festival to be held by Hezbollah on the fifth anniversary of the July 2006 war, presented a strategic analysis of the general situation in the region, and the changes that happened between July 2006 and July 2011.

General Hoteit said that, before 2006, Israel used to fully possess the war decision. “Every time it wanted to achieve an advantage, impose a new status quo, it used to wage war, reassured that it would achieve its goals. However, the July war deprived Israel of this preference, as Israel lost its ability to achieve victory on ground as well as necessary tools to keep its society unaffected by war. This new reality deprived Israel of the free decision of war and peace. Israel seems today to possess a power, but at the same time unable to engage in a war and triumph it.”

Another strategic change was political, according to Hoteit. “Previously, Israel was able to politically and diplomatically act as it wishes, even in the issue of violating the other nations’ basic rights. Israel used to only intimidate others and threaten them of a new war to achieve whatever it seeks. The whole situation has changed now. The recent developments in relation to Lebanon’s oil and gas fields confirm this new reality. When Lebanon works day and night to prove its rights in this regard, it doesn’t resort to the international law, as this law has not changed. Instead, it resorts to a practical power, represented by the triumphant resistance. Thus, Israel used to scare the others because it used to possess the military deterrence force. However, the resistance succeeded in reversing the directions to the degree that Israel is the one which is today scared of the resistance’s reaction to any of its acts.”

QUESTION MARKS OVER ISRAEL’S FATE
General Hoteit spoke of a third factor in this context, noting that, before 2006, Israel also used to carry out the West’s strategy in the region. He pointed in this context to the Iranian nuclear program. “If Israel was not defeated in this war, then the West would not have shown all this patience and Iran wouldn’t be able to deal with the situation so calmly, reassured that the military option would be negatively reflected on Israel and the West. Even more, and despite all rumors, Israel would not dare to target the Iranian nuclear program because it perceives the price it would have to pay exceeds all its expectations.”

Hoteit said in this context that the resistance’s possession of military abilities helped it in protecting its legal economic interests and its structural self in relation to sovereignty and free will. He also said that Israel confirmed it was unable to accept a strategic change in the region, but also was unable to reject, and this is where the real challenge resides.

The Brigadier General concluded that the July 2006 has achieved the most important strategic change since the year 1948. He said that the power, created in 1948, was uncovered by the Resistance in 2006, raising question marks about Israel’s ability of steadfastness.

NO IMMINENT WAR IN REGION
Answering a question about media leaks concerning an imminent new war region in light of the recent developments, Hoteit distinguished in the Israeli conduct between the decision of war and the execution of this decision. He explained that the war turned to be a strategic Israeli necessity that cannot be neglected by the Zionist entity.

He confirmed that Israel actually took the war decision in an attempt to restore its lost prestige. He said that the decision was taken at the moment the war hostilities were suspended, and recalled how Israel refused to use the “ceasefire” expression in the resolution 1701 because it didn’t want to end a war with a defeated status. “Israel wanted to hint that anytime it returns to the ground, the world wouldn’t speak of a new war, as the July war would resume.”

Hoteit said Israel believe whatever it does is based on the principle that the war would resume at the moment if feels it is able to achieve victory. But he noted that this moment was government by three elements: the aggressive ability, the defensive ability as well as the political and diplomatic abilities that would make it possible for it to politically exploit its victory.

While noting that Israel has re-organized its army and executed many drills, he said that the Resistance also strengthened itself and increased its abilities. He emphasized that the Resistance has actually surprised the enemy with its counterattack abilities, at the strategic level. “Hezbollah reached the level of threatening of entering the occupied territories in Palestine, according to a new balance. Israel was not able to reach the defensive immunity. Even more, the world environment, following the recent changes in the UNSC, declared the launch of what we can call the gray cloudiness. Therefore, Israel, although it took the war decision, is unable of building the victory’s suitable circumstances. Hence, there would not be a war in the imminent future.”

RESISTANCE ARMS NOT DISCUSSION TOPIC
Answering a question about the internal debate over the Resistance’s arms in such a critical and sensitive stage, Hoteit said that Lebanon was in a situation that prevents it of the mere discussion of the Resistance arms’. “The popular majority believes nothing protects Lebanon other that these arms, coordinated with the Lebanese army. The popular and parliamentary majority absolutely believe that the resistance arms are not a topic of discussion.”

Hoteit said that the “other bloc” was frustrated to the degree it doesn’t find anything to do other than what satisfies the United States and the Israeli enemy. “This bloc is becoming closer to Israel and the US as long as it continues targeting the Resistance’s arms. However, the US doesn’t feel concerned with this bloc after its five-year experience.”

He concluded that discussing the Resistance arms was baseless. “What can be discussed, however, is a defensive strategy that includes the whole Lebanese society. A defensive strategy does not only concern the military level but all other levels, including the economic, financial, social, diplomatic, cultural, and others. When we speak of the army-resistance-people trio, we don’t mean that the whole nation will fight through the arms but that everyone would have a mission to accomplish in war.”

TRIBUNAL TARGETING RESISTANCE
Asked whether Israel resorted to the international tribunal to target the Resistance and compensate its military failure in getting rid of the Resistance, Hoteit said that Israel was in fact a United Nations product and enjoys the international organization’s sponsorship and protection. He noted that one of the most dangerous decisions taken by the UN was the decision to create a state on others’ lands, in reference to the Zionist entity.

He said that the UN did not abandon its sponsorship for Israel, and noted that the so-called Special Tribunal for Lebanon was created by the Security Council, which is a part of the United Nations. “Therefore, it was created to protect Israel and target those who succeeded in toppling its fighting strategy, meaning the Resistance,” he stressed.

Hoteit expressed belief that this tribunal would spare no effort to embarrass the resistance, even if had to issue tens of indictments and even if the names of suspects exceeded 500 Hezbollah men, as some leaks are suggesting. “Law does not concern them. Actually, the many indictments are against the law. But, it became evident that they are using the tribunal to target the Resistance and comfort Israel. There’s absolutely no doubt.”