BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Secretary General of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement says the resistance front’s victory over Israel in the year 2000, which saw the occupying regime withdraw its forces from Lebanon, put an end to the myth of the regime’s invincibility and the so-called greater Israel project.
“The victory in 2000 put an end to the greater Israel project and shattered the invincible army” of the occupying regime, Nasrallah told a late Monday ceremony held in Beirut to mark the 40th anniversary of the movement’s foundation.
He also hailed Hezbollah’s victory in the 33-day war against the Zionist regime in 2006 as one of its most important achievements.
Nasrallah said the resistance movement’s role in reclaiming the country’s rights in its dispute with Israel over an offshore gas field is one of the achievements of the 33-day war.
Hezbollah, he said, will not give in to any threats regarding the demarcation of Lebanon’s maritime borders, describing such threats as worthless.
“Our decision and approach are clear; we are waiting for the coming days to make decisions in line with what happens,” he added.
The Hezbollah chief went on to note that the movement has been maintaining close ties with all resistance groups in Palestine and during the past 40 years will continue to do so.
Nasrallah then voiced Hezbollah’s staunch opposition to normalization of some Arab countries’ relations with Israel, advising the regional states not to normalize relations with an entity that has committed war crimes and crimes against Palestinian people.
“Everybody should help the revolution of the Palestinian people. We have also supported the Palestinian refugees and emphasized their right to dignified return to Palestine,” he said.
Nasrallah said the Palestinian cause is part of the Lebanese nation’s religion, culture, honor and dignity and there is no place for abandoning that cause in any way.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Nasrallah hit out at the United States for trying to fan the flames of civil war in Lebanon by pitting the resistance movement against the Lebanese army.
“We do not seek civil war. Of course, there are certain parties that want civil war in Lebanon. During the past 40 years, we have been trying to establish security in Lebanon and have avoided any measure that would lead to our confrontation with the army. This is an open and permanent plan pursued by the United States to pit Hezbollah against the Lebanese army and security forces. However, it has been
foiled by the commanders of both Hezbollah and the army,” h said. “We won’t be dragged into a civil war or sectarian strife.”
Nasrallah added that Hezbollah has been always ready to delineate a defense strategy for Lebanon.
“Any effort to liberate Lebanon’s occupied lands is a national responsibility. Our responsibility in the next stage is to stabilize the deterrence equations to protect Lebanon’s land, people and wealth. Therefore, Israel’s threats about demarcation of maritime borders are worthless.”
Touching on relations between Hezbollah and the Syria, the movement’s leader said the support for Syria is permanent and will never waver.
“Syria is the cornerstone of the resistance front and our partner in refusing to surrender to Israeli conditions,” he said, adding, “Day after day we become more convinced about our choice and decision to get involved in Syria’s war.”
Nasrallah said, “If Syria is exposed to any similar attack, we will not hesitate to get involved in that confrontation.”
He also highlighted Hezbollah’s support for the return of Syrian refugees to their homes, saying that political pressures from the U.S. have so far prevented this from happening.
“We have always stood by the oppressed people of the region, including in Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan, and will also do this in the future,” Nasrallah said.
In another part of his speech, Nasrallah said when it comes to domestic situation in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s main plan is to cooperate with other political groups to build a just and powerful government.
“We seek to establish a government that will not be dependent on U.S. embassy. We seek an independent country free from all forms of dependency.”
Nasrallah said the movement has been serving the Lebanese people during the past 40 years in all cultural, social, economic and political fields.
“Despite sanctions and the blockade, we will continue to fully serve the people,” he said.