Translated by Al-Ahed News, Hezbollah Media Relations
Speech of Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during International Quds Day commemorations at the Sayyed al-Shuhada Complex March 14, 2023.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of Prophets, Abi al-Qassem Muhammad Bin Abdullah, and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.
Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you all.
God Almighty says in His Glorious Book:
{In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah." And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.}
In another verse, He says:
{Indeed, We will support Our messengers and those who believe during the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses will stand. God has spoken the truth.}
First, I thank my brothers and sisters for their blessed and extensive participation on this treasured day of the blessed month of Ramadan, the International Quds Day.
Before I start talking about the main event, it is my duty to mention two occasions:
1- The first is the martyrdom anniversary of the great Imam martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr and his sister, scholar, and oppressed mujahida, Bint al-Huda.
This imam and great religious authority [marja] was also a great Islamic thinker unparalleled in the past century and in the current era.
He was a distinguished genius of the Islamic world. He defended Islam with his thoughts and was on the intellectual frontline during the most challenging stages in the past century.
He raised generations of scholars for all countries and all arenas, who were also on the frontlines in their own countries.
Among his dear students, were martyred leaders Sayed Abbas al-Mousawi and Sheikh Ragheb Harb. His pure blood had extensive effects on the early jihadi work in Lebanon in the late 1970s and early 80s.
Martyr Imam Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr had a firm, clear and great position towards the Palestinian cause, the conflict with the “Israeli” enemy, supporting the resistance. He personally sponsored and followed up on the affairs of the resistance movements in the region.
2- The other occasion is the April 1996 aggression against Lebanon, including the massacres in Qana, in Mansouri, and in many towns in the south and the western Bekaa. The resistance, the people, and the army displayed heroic steadfastness at that stage. There is also the great victory by the resistance that was achieved through the imposition of the rules of engagement. This was done in writing for the first time after the July 1993 understanding, which became known as the April 1996 Understanding. It changed the equations and laid the foundation for the victory in 2000.
I wanted to remind you of these two occasions.
Today, we mark International Quds Day, which was declared by Imam Khomeini more than 40 years ago to be a day for Palestine, for the threatened Islamic and Christian sanctities in Palestine, for al-Quds, and for all Palestine from the sea to the river. He declared it a day for the nation and the honorable and free people of the world – not only the Muslims – to express their solidarity with Palestine, al-Quds, and their oppressed people.
It is a day to remind everyone of their responsibility towards al-Quds, Palestine, the people of Palestine, and the Islamic and Christian sanctities in Palestine. It is a reminder of the responsibility. No one should evade responsibility.
Today, when I talk about positive developments and about us approaching the moment of final victory, God willing, it is as a result of the peoples, states, movements, parties, and political forces in this region that assumed their responsibility.
It is not like 1948 when everyone abandoned the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance. This is what the axis of resistance is expressing and doing. This commemoration and declaration of solidarity for Quds Day in more than one Arab and Islamic country, in more than one city in the world, and in more than one country sends two powerful messages.
The first message is to the steadfast, patient, oppressed, sacrificing, and heroic Palestinian people, including the men and women, young and old, those holding sit-ins in Al-Aqsa Mosque, and to the Christians in the Church of the Resurrection, some of whom were insulted this morning.
It is a message of cooperation, support, and assistance to the Palestinian people that they are not alone. It is also a message to the enemy that Palestine and al-Quds have not been forgotten and will not be forgotten.
It is a message of affirmation to the Palestinian people to reassure them and strengthen their resolve and morale while increasing the enemy’s anxiety, fear, and terror.
Look, brothers, today we are celebrating here in Lebanon and in many places in the Arab and Islamic world and outside the Arab and Islamic world, with confidence and reassurance.
We feel safe, secure, strong, and proud. However, yesterday the “Israeli” entity announced its mobilization on all fronts and prepared its iron dome along those fronts.
It made empty and worthless threats against all surrounding countries. Look where we are right now. We are marking Quds Day in tranquility and confidence, and the Zionist enemy is in a state of anxiety, terror, and fear and defending the entity that will disappear, God willing. Today's message through this presence is a very important and powerful message.
On Quds Day, it is usually an occasion to review the developments that took place during the year, from last year’s Quds Day to the current Quds Day.
Yesterday, I and many dear and beloved brothers from more than one Arab and Islamic country spoke at the unified forum of al-Quds. I summarized it and will use a few details and make a few basic additions.
Major developments took place during the past year, at the international level, at the regional level, in the Zionist entity, and among the Palestinian people.
When we briefly look at these developments, it is very clear to us what the position of this cause, axis, and battle is. It is an advanced and positive position that calls for great optimism.
Internationally:
1- On the international level, the first title is the decline of American power. We are not saying now that America has become weak, emaciated, and incapable of anything. No, this is not realistic, but we are saying that America is no longer as strong as it was in the past years or in previous decades.
The decline in American power is not an allegation. There are many examples, but mentioning two is enough for the time that we have.
The first is Venezuela. Venezuela is in Latin America and close to the US. America worked to overthrow the regime in Venezuela and appointed a president and a transitional government. It provided him with money and officially recognized him.
The Americans besieged Venezuela and imposed severe sanctions on it until the Venezuelan currency was much worse off than the Lebanese currency now. Despite all the difficulties, Venezuela's leadership and people withstood the pressure, and America failed and was forced to retreat. This is a decline in American power.
The second example that caused an earthquake in our region and led to these transformations that you are seeing now and is one of the most important basic factors in the transformations at the level of the region is the American defeat in Afghanistan.
After 20 years of fighting, the deployment of large numbers of officers and soldiers, and hundreds of billions of dollars in losses, the United States of America withdrew from Afghanistan and gave it up to the Taliban movement without any conditions.
Of course, what is happening in America is the same as what is happening in “Israel”. We will talk about Netanyahu for a bit. He is evading responsibility and throwing it at Lapid. A few days ago, the current US administration was also blaming defeat in Afghanistan on Trump.
This is the case of Satan's followers in this world and in the hereafter; each one throwing responsibility on the other.
Anyway, the American defeat in Afghanistan caused a major earthquake in the region. Its effects do not appear in a week or two, or in a couple of months. It will take years for these effects to become strongly evident.
The calamity was in Afghanistan, but the Zionist entity was the one mourning. Recall what Zionist officials and “Israeli” strategic experts said about the repercussions of this American defeat in Afghanistan, in the countries of the region, and in the Gulf countries. This is not analytical. This is information.
These words were told to us by some Gulf officials through mediations during talks that take place from time to time. They said that everyone, including all countries in the region, has become convinced that it is not possible to fully and absolutely rely on America to protect any regime or state. “Israel” is also forced to bear this conviction and accept it.
America does not have a fraternal contract with anyone in the region. America is looking for its interests. When its interests require that it withdraw and abandon its allies, it will withdraw and abandon its allies. It did that in Afghanistan, and before that in Vietnam in the worst possible way.
This caused an earthquake in the region. On the Arab level, it was a very beneficial earthquake because it led to the conviction that the real guarantee of stability in the Arab region, in the Gulf region, and in West Asia does not depend on a foreign presence. Rather, the foreign presence is a cause of tension.
Bilateral relations, convergence, dialogue, understanding, and consensus are the real guarantees of security and stability.
2- Secondly, America is preoccupied with other regions. Its priority is no longer West Asia and the Middle East, and the American administration no longer wants to sleep thinking about “Israel” and wake up thinking about “Israel” and our region here. There are other priorities that occupy it.
The confrontation with Russia in the direct Russian-Ukrainian war, the indirect Atlantic war, and the conflict with China – let us not call it a war but a conflict – which may develop into a war. God knows what will happen with regard to the developments in Taiwan.
So, this also preoccupies America and worries the “Israelis”. I am not analyzing, but rather I am keeping pace with what “Israeli” officials and experts are saying. They say that this worries us a lot, and this also puts a lot of pressure on “Israel” from the Americans, and the Americans keep telling them that our priority now is not with you, but rather Ukraine, China, Russia, and Taiwan.
This even takes the weight off of Iran and all the countries in the region. This international development, of course, pushes us towards a multipolar world, a multipolar world in which the United States of America that provides all forms of support to “Israel”, including military, economic, and political support, has no absolute hegemony.
When American power declines, when America becomes preoccupied with other regions, arenas, and priorities, when America no longer remains the sole dominant power in the world, this will have a strategic effect.
This will not have simple effects, but will strategically affect the entity, the position of the entity, and the deterrence capacity of the entity.
Basically, part of “Israeli” deterrence is American support. Even in the political track, these “Israeli” officials are lying a lot to their people. We will talk shortly about Netanyahu's lies.
Let us take the path of normalization with some Arab and Islamic countries, for example. Some Zionist leaders attribute it to themselves, to their diplomacy, and to their cleverness. This is a lie. This is due to American pressure, to American coercion, to the American request from Arab countries to normalize relations with “Israel”.
The Americans are the ones working on the issue of normalization. We all know, for example, that US delegations go to Indonesia. We all know Indonesia’s stance on Palestine.
Then, official statements announce that an American delegation met with the Indonesian president or the Foreign Minister and discussed with them the establishment of normal relations with “Israel”. I am not talking based on special information or analysis. These are official statements.
When America gets preoccupied and retreats, the path of normalization will also retreat, the “Israeli” deterrence capacity will decline, and “Israel's” strategic position in the region will decline. This international transformation is very beneficial to the axis of resistance and negatively impacted the entity and its future in the region.
Regionally:
The axis of resistance, with its countries, peoples, and resistance movements, has moved on from the previous situation. Over the past ten or 12 years, there has been a global war on the axis of resistance in various forms. The war was run by America, brothers and sisters. Countries, terrorist organizations, and criminal groups were used in it under different titles, including aggression, siege, sanctions, soft war, psychological warfare, and distortion. We’ve witnessed all these during the past years.
Today, the axis of resistance with its countries, people, and resistance movements has largely emerged from this situation. I am not saying completely, but to a high degree. It’s become strong, cohesive, present, and active, and this is what we are witnessing in various arenas.
This is also very influential on the issue of conflict with the enemy. All bets made in the past ten years were on the collapse of the environment of the resistance, its infrastructure, support for the resistance, Al-Quds, and Palestine, every supporter of the resistance and Palestine from Iran, Iraq and Syria to Yemen, Lebanon, and the region. However, all these projects failed.
Syria:
When it comes to the developments in the region, Syria is important. When we talk about the recovery in Syria, we are talking about a high level of security and stability, with some remaining files that need to be addressed, and the return of normal political relations with a number of Arab countries, including Algeria, Tunisia, the UAE, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia in recent days. We are talking about the opening of consulates, discussions about Syria's return to the Arab League – although this is not the important point, what is important is the return of normal political relations between Syria and the Arab countries. This is the balance and the effect.
Regarding the Turkish issue, Turkey wants to meet, negotiate with, and visit Damascus. The Syrian leadership is the one putting conditions related the Turkish occupation of Syrian territory. These are important transformations in Syria.
This is happening despite the suffering, the Caesar Act, sanctions, and the economic and living conditions that we all suffer from. By the way, not only are the countries and peoples of the axis of resistance suffering, but many peoples and countries in the world, even the developed and civilized ones are too.
Yemen:
Yemen has been witnessing positive developments; a reflection of everything that is happening in the region. Today was also a blessed day, the beginning of the prisoner exchange in Yemen.
All the atmosphere that comes from Yemen and Saudi Arabia regarding this matter, including contacts, visits, and meetings, all call for optimism. [Saudi Arabia is a party to this issue. It was an essential part of the war and aggression against Yemen, along with the UAE and other Arab countries, even if the main decision was an American decision]. This is what makes us happy.
Today, those who are supporting and heading towards stopping the war and calling for a political solution in Yemen is in harmony with himself; be it the courageous and wise leadership that has proven its great presence during eight years, embodied in the first place by His Eminence the Leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi.
These people have been saying from the start that we are defending our people and our homeland; we are calling for an end to the war. We are among those in the region who sympathized with Yemen. From the start, we condemned the war and demanded it stop.
Over a period of eight years, if you review all the statements, speeches, and stances, we have demand an end to the war. When things go towards stopping the war, we are completely in harmony with ourselves.
The one who must provide answers to the people is the one who put forth high and great goals and was unable to achieve any in Yemen or in the region.
If Yemen succeeds, God willing, it is promising. This is an important development for the axis of resistance, for Palestine, and for al-Quds.
Algeria:
Algeria's strong return to the Arab arena and to the Palestinian file and cause, and what it did at the African summit recently. Its stance led to the expulsion of “Israeli” representatives from the African summit.
Iraq:
Iraq, including its forces, capabilities, [religious] references, people, PMF, and resistance factions, has largely emerged from its ordeal and is on the path of recovery. We, the countries in the region, the resistance movements stationed on the borders with Palestine and in Al-Quds tell our brothers in Iraq that we are placing high hopes on them and are betting on them. This is because Iraq, with its capabilities, people, civilization, and history, has enormous human and material potential. Add this to a real presence, as it did years ago, in the axis of resistance, it will certainly change many of the equations in the region.
Iran:
Iran’s steadfastness, development, and assertion of its presence in regional and international equations. It overcame sanctions, blockades, isolation attempts, and trivial riots recently period.
The Saudi-Iranian agreement and its repercussions on the region, which began to appear faster than many expected, in more than one arena and in more than one arena, and we hope that it will reach Lebanon as well.
The Saudi-Iran deal:
The impact of the Saudi-Iran deal on the region began to appear faster than many expected, in more than one arena. We hope that it will reach Lebanon as well.
This development in the region certainly has important effects on the course of normalization – a positive one from our point of view and a negative one with regard to the enemy. At the very least, it will slow down the path of normalization and will stop it at certain limits.
The foolish performance of this extremist, corrupt, and criminal “Israeli” government aided in this.
Today, through the developments in the region, the doors have closed on very dangerous and very big bets that the enemy entity was counting on.
They were talking about it openly. They were talking about forming an “Israeli”-Arab axis. They used a certain literature. I apologize for repeating it. But the Sunnis are not like that and they are on the frontlines.
Basically, the Sunnis are the ones fighting in al-Quds, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Palestine. However, the “Israelis” used the title of forming an “Israeli”-Sunni axis in the face of Shiite Iran. In light of the recent developments in the region, this has failed.
Betting on an “Israeli”-Arab axis in the face of Iran and the resistance axis has failed.
What they called the “Israeli”-Sunni axis has failed, and these are also very great advantages for the axis of resistance and a cause of failure of the “Israeli” enemy’s options and bets.
Betting on a war fueled by the Arabs and the Gulf states against Iran has also failed. Betting on an American war supported by the Gulf and “against” the Islamic Republic has also fallen until further notice.
Here, why is the focus on Iran? Because the whole world, and “Israel” in particular, knows that the real and strong support today for all countries, peoples, and movements of the axis of resistance is the Islamic Republic of Iran under the leadership of His Eminence, the Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Khamenei.
That is why all the focus is on Iran – blockading Iran, the war on Iran, the formation of axes against Iran. This too has failed. These are important developments in the region that serve our axis.
The Zionist entity:
The deep divisions that have surfaced in the past few months. In short, there are some people in Lebanon and in the region who still do not know the extent of the issue taking place within the entity, and what they are disagreeing on – judicial amendments and its importance.
First of all, the judicial amendments brought out and revealed all that is latent in this society in terms of ethnic, religious, political, intellectual, and psychological divisions.
The former president of the “Israeli” entity spoke about it years ago. He talked about these fears. The judicial amendments revealed this clearly to the public, the street, the squares, and the media in an unprecedented way.
These judicial amendments are a war of annihilation without bloodshed, but it may lead to bloodshed. It is a war of annihilation waged by Netanyahu and his extremist team against other political forces from within the mechanisms of the political system in the entity.
It is a war of annihilation and a transition to a dictatorship as they say, although their democracy is debatable. However, it’s a war of annihilation without bloodshed and could lead to bloodshed. In the past few weeks, it would have almost caused bloodshed had it not been for the great intervention of the United States of America.
After all, America cannot let “Israel” go into a civil war. It will make every effort to prevent that. Whether it will be able to prevent it or not is another discussion.
But it is willing and serious. This is one of the reasons for the visits. During a month or a month and a half, the US National Security Adviser, the US Secretary of State, the US Secretary of Defense, and the Chief of Staff of the US army were flying in and out of “Israel” because there is a real crisis.
This division spread throughout the societies of the enemy entity, in the media, among the political parties, and the elites. It affected businessmen, the economy, and financial investments and has threatened them as well.
It affected the army, its regular units, and its reserve units, and much of this division will be built on it. Of course, what has accumulated over the past years is added to it, including the lack of confidence in political leaders and the army. This is very important. It is still in place, and all attempts to restore confidence have failed so far.
The “Israelis” admitted that their deterrence against the resistance movements and the resistance axis in the region has eroded. I will return to it later because I want to comment on the Lebanese issue a bit with regard to southern Lebanon.
There is a decline in the fighting spirit and willingness to sacrifice for the survival of this entity, be it at the popular level or at the level the army and soldiers or at the level of joining combat units in the “Israeli” army.
This is what we mean when we talk about the lack of readiness of the home front; it cannot make sacrifices and does not bear human losses. This is a massive decline in the fighting spirit.
Many are threatening to transfer their investments away from the entity; many are thinking of leaving because they were promised safety and security in the land of milk and honey. It turns out, it is a land of conflicts, grudges, and blood. Those who do not have another nationality are searching for another passport and nationality.
Of course, these developments are very important. They were caused by the internal conditions and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, the launch of the resistance, and the al-Quds Sword, as well as all developments in the region.
This was not a spur of the moment kind of thing or as a result of the recent developments. Rather it was the result of 75 years of accumulation, including the Palestinian development, what is happening in the West Bank and al-Quds, what is happening in the West Bank in terms of armed resistance, the lone wolf operations [rather the lone lion], the heroic confrontations. This is all despite the unequal capabilities.
Basically, the Palestinians in Jenin, Nablus, the [refugee] camps, and in the rest of the cities are fighting with very modest weapons in front of a heavily armed army that has the most powerful air force in the region.
Al-Quds and the people of al-Quds and the people of the West Bank – the men and women, young and old – display the highest, most beautiful, and strongest image of steadfastness, determination, will, and strength, as well as the willingness to make sacrifices and to be martyred. They represent the pride of the martyrs and the incubating environment for the resistance fighters and martyrs and the choice of resistance.
Greetings, peace, appreciation, and respect to all the men and women who have been fighting during the past days and months, especially in the past few days.
Despite the injustice, beatings, and cruelty that befell them as well as the hardship and pain, they insisted on being present in al-Aqsa Mosque.
The capabilities of the resistance in Gaza and the steadfastness of the people of Gaza are growing. The Palestinian people inside and outside Palestine are embracing the choice of resistance now more than ever. Here, I am speaking in relative terms. Otherwise, they are all resistance people and have adopted this choice.
Today, we do not hear any talk about the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian-“Israeli” negotiations, or settlements. All talk is about the resistance, the martyrs, the al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the great mothers of the martyrs, the funerals of the martyrs, and heroism in the West Bank, Gaza, and Palestine. This is what we hear.
This is what governs the whole situation, the media, and all the spaces. This is a huge and very important development in the course of the struggle with the “Israeli” enemy.
The incident in the south of Lebanon:
In light of these developments, we delve into some details and reach the end of our talk – what recently happened in the south. In the end, we must determine whose responsibility it was.
The incident that recently occurred in the south, of course, was an important and major event in view of the situation following 2006. I did not speak last week because the truth of the matter is that this incident required study and consultation.
The brothers and I consulted, and we believe that policy of silence by Hezbollah and the resistance in Lebanon in managing the battle with the enemy is the best approach.
There is no need for us to go into details and or answer questions the enemy is still trying to figure out. This policy of silence definitely worries the enemy. However, it may worry our friends too. With regard to our concerned friends, they must consider themselves part of the sacrifices in this battle.
Our friend's concerns can be addressed without relieving the enemy's anxiety. What must remain, and this is one of the fruits of what happened last week, is the enemy’s worry. The enemy must remain afraid and terrified.
It is not permissible for anyone to offer reassurances to this enemy because it is the aggressor, the one assaulting the Palestinian people on a daily basis, the one that committed that barbaric acts against the worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, the one that threatens all countries in the region, the one that bombs Syria most days, assaults the Palestinians daily, and threatens the Lebanese every day. Why must we give it reassurances and guarantees?
As a resistance in Lebanon, a state, and even as a political force in Lebanon, the enemy must remain anxious and terrified. O Lebanese, this is what establishes the balance of deterrence, the deterrent force, and the rules of engagement that have been protecting Lebanon since 2006. According to Netanyahu, they forced the enemy to admit that it retreated and gave Lebanon the right the Lebanese state and the Lebanese government have been demanding regarding the maritime border demarcation as well as the oil and gas fields.
This is part of the deterrence equation that we must preserve and which has proven its strong presence during the past week. The Lebanese people and the peoples of the region know “Israel”.
We all remember how the entity used to respond before 1982 and between 1982 and 2000 when missiles were fired at its settlements. Last week, how did it react?
Some of those who are in Lebanon are still discussing, ‘Can they give us an answer?’ We are talking here on the ground and on the field. Is this “Israeli” behavior a result of international resolutions, the international community, out of respect for the Arab situation? What is this nonsense? Of course, no one said it because no one dares to say it. This is absurd.
In any case, we do not need to explain. The “Israelis” themselves admit that the balance of deterrence is what made their response limited and silly. Many acknowledged that last week’s incident was serious, important, and major.
Look where we have become in Lebanon. I kept pace with everything that was said by the “Israelis” in the security cabinet meeting, meeting, Netanyahu's meeting with the security and military leaders, and what was reported by the “Israeli” media.
Imagine the position we are in now, where after the missile strikes from southern Lebanon, “Israel” said: ‘We have achieved an important goal; we were able to divert Hezbollah from the battle in southern Lebanon. (When Hezbollah did not respond to the bombing that they carried out, they considered it an achievement). We neutralize Lebanon and the resistance in Lebanon. All the while, the “Israelis” took a beating! This must be read strategically. This is not the work of Lebanese alleys.
Anyway, with regard to what happened, this is our comment. Secondly, with regard to what happened, Netanyahu told lies. The “Israelis” responded to him, but we also have to respond to him. The most important lie Netanyahu told was that they bombed Hezbollah and Hamas infrastructures in southern Lebanon.
Isn’t this what he said? This is clearly a lie. Many media outlets went to the sites of the attack and captured footage. They were all open spaces, including some banana plantations, and tools for water irrigation.
No Hezbollah infrastructure was bombed, and no Hamas infrastructure was bombed. No one's infrastructure was bombed. Banana plantations in the southern Lebanon were the only thing bombed.
Last week, I was hesitant to say this because I told myself that this incident was already over. We did not want to provoke the “Israelis” since they failed to achieve anything.
It is true that there is provocation in what I’m doing. However, when it comes to the logic of establishing equations, provocation is not important. The feelings of the “Israelis” is irrelevant. Whether they are provoked, humiliated, or insulted is none of our concern. But for them to lie to our people and the people in the region concerns us. Blatantly lying to their people is their concern.
They as well as the army, the “Israeli” ministers, and all the people in the entity know that this matter did not happen in southern Lebanon last week. Look how weak and shameless “Israel” is to lie openly and bluntly. This is proof of weakness.
In any case, one of the most important things that Netanyahu did was that he acknowledged the decline of the “Israeli” deterrence on various fronts, especially with Lebanon. He promised to restore the deterrence force but asked for time. It will take a long time and he will not be able to, God willing. He blamed the previous government, of course.
Another lie he told is that the Lapid government signed an agreement with Hezbollah. But everyone in the entity, in Lebanon, and in the world knows that the Lapid government did not sign an agreement with Hezbollah. Everyone knows the details of the maritime border demarcation deal. There is no reason for us to take time and mention it again.
In any case, I want to conclude this part by talking about the Lebanese issue. Last midnight, as soon as we finished, the brothers informed me about an interview with Netanyahu where he was issuing threats and named me. He said that ‘if you have not seen it yet, you will.’ So, let us see.
That is how he started his threat. He said, ‘we will see.’ The resistance in Lebanon also says, ‘we will see.’ The days between us will show.
The enemy must know that all these threats it is launching towards Lebanon and the resistance in Lebanon will not work. They do not affect us at all, but rather increase our determination, strength, and willpower to preserve what the balance of deterrence has produced – to protect Lebanon and to confront any attack or aggression that could target anyone in Lebanon, including the Lebanese, the Palestinians, the Iranians, the Syrians, and anyone residing in Lebanon and on Lebanese territory, be them residents or guests.
Now, the “Israelis” can play the security game. Basically, I am not carrying out a military action but a security action. I will mention this detail so you have clarity. The “Israelis” will not engage in a military action but a security one. By doing so, they avoid targeting the Lebanese and Hezbollah and attack a certain Palestinian faction. No!
We will respond to any action that targets anyone in Lebanon in an appropriate size and manner, God willing, without any hesitation.
The repeated attacks on Syria:
I move on to part before the last – [the repeated “Israeli” attacks on] Syria. Although this topic requires more time, but I will speak about it briefly.
There is a question that is always asked. Allow me to answer it on Quds Day. I will answer it now, especially when this question is directed to Syria as a leadership, as a state, as an army, as a people, and also to the axis of resistance.
With regard to the question, why doesn’t respond to the repeated [“Israeli”] attacks? This is of course a well-thought-out matter by the Syrian leadership because no one should lose sight of the fact that the Syrian army is deployed on a battle line for hundreds of kilometers away from the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border point at Al-Bukamal, Al-Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor, and from the Euphrates River to east Aleppo, north Aleppo, and the frontline with Idlib province all the way to the Latakia Mountains.
When a leadership, a state, and an army are occupied with this large front, it is true that there is no shooting and only skirmishes, but fighting can take place at any time and any major Syrian-“Israeli” military development can be exploited by all these armed groups. You cannot easily ask someone fighting such a battle to open another front.
However, the Syrian air defenses are confronting them with all their capabilities, and martyrs and wounded are falling.
But what I want to say is that this matter may not last long, and this is what I wanted to warn the enemy against, even at the level of Syria. It may not last long. The situation may evolve and change at any moment based on the development of the situation in the region, based on international developments, and based on developments in the axis of resistance and the situation within the entity.
The “Israeli” enemy should not make a mistake building on wrong calculations and reassures itself and says: These are my fixed calculations. I will strike Syria and exact revenge on Syria while it is preoccupied with another war and cannot open a new front.
These calculations may be wrong, and their error may appear at any time. Some drones and missiles that were launched at Syria indicate such possibilities. I would like here to warn the enemy against misreading this front as well.
The enemy claims that it has been carrying out battles between wars in Syria since 2018 to achieve some goals. Yet, none of these goals have been achieved. These are failed and lost goals, and their cost is high for the Israelis. Yes, there are material losses in Syria. The human losses are less, but there is a failure in the enemy's project and strategy.
Some people in the region, especially in Lebanon, ask us, for example, about what we did toward the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque. They say that they are bombarding Syria, and what are you doing from Lebanon?
If we don't do anything, they ask us why we are not acting. If we do something, they say the resistance wants to drag Lebanon into a war in the region. This approach is useless. It will not affect the decisions, the leadership, or the strategies of the axis of resistance. The axis of resistance and its leaders understand each other and in [constant] communication. They study the options well, and they have the courage and wisdom to deal with events in a way that suits each of the stages, God willing.
The West Bank:
In conclusion, the primary responsibility is related to the West Bank and al-Quds. We must mention that this is everyone’s responsibility – Muslims, Christians, the free, and the honorable. Everyone and everything in al-Quds is being threatened, including the Islamic and Christian sanctities. The Muslims and Christians in Palestine and the region are all being threatened by the “Israeli” aggression as well as by the terrorist organizations that was run by America and supported by “Israel”, which provided them with arms and facilities.
These organizations attacked Christians in the region. These organizations were cooperating with “Israel”, and “Israel” was providing them with facilities, foodstuffs, medicine, medical care, weapons, air and artillery bombardment in Syria as well. This is everyone's responsibility.
Today, the West Bank is the shield of al-Quds, a word of truth. The West Bank is the one that protects the sanctities. It is the frontline, with its men and women, with its direct and permanent presence, with its patience, steadfastness, resoluteness, and great endurance.
By staying up late in these nights, it protects Al-Aqsa Mosque and the sanctities with its honorable resistance. The responsibility is to preserve the West Bank, which is the shield of al-Quds. This means supporting it. Let us be frank and clear. Supporting it is not only with moral and political support, with celebration, taking part in marches, singing songs. All this is required and important. But supporting it with money is also required.
This is what we must all work for, despite all the difficult financial circumstances that we all live in. we must support it with money. The people in the West Bank and al-Quds live in poor and harsh living conditions. Their situation is worse than many peoples in our region.
In order for this people to continue to stand firm, to remain on the land, and to embrace the resistance, it must be supported with money. The resistance must be supported with money.
We must also support it with weapons. Anyone who can deliver weapons to the West Bank must do so, we and others, everyone who can deliver weapons to the West Bank must do so,
He who cannot, {Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} But he can't say, ‘I can't.’ He must go and seek. This too is everyone's responsibility.
Certainly, the official embrace, the political embrace, the Arab and Islamic embrace, the embrace from the Arab, and the embrace of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are very valuable and important.
The main headline today, on Quds Day, is supporting the West Bank, which is the shield of al-Quds, with everything that can make it strong, steadfast, solid, influential, effective, and productive at the forefront of victory. This is first.
Secondly, we are warning the enemy. The enemy is playing on all fronts, arguing that there are rules of engagement. This is a very important point, and I hope everyone pays attention to it, and I know that there are people who think about it a lot. However, what concerns me is the enemy because this is a battle with the enemy.
What does the enemy do? It divides the arenas; it singles out the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, and the worshippers in Al-Aqsa Mosque and says that there are rules of engagement. Then, it tries to deal with these arenas and puts a ceiling that it does not want to go to war, as if it is doing us and the people and the countries in the region a favor.
First, it is not doing us any favors. It is terrified and very afraid to go to war, this one. But the important thing that I want to say to the enemy is that this is a dangerous game. You will not always be able to grasp the edges and threads of this game, not in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, not in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, not in al-Quds, not in the West Bank, not in Gaza, not in southern Lebanon, and not in Syria.
Of course, I do not think that “Israel” is thinking of attacking Iran. It is too cowardly, weaker, and emaciated than to attack Iran. Do not think that you are holding the strings of the game and managing it – all this talk about rules of engagement and a ceiling, and you do not want the region to go to war.
No! We must all issue a clear warning to the “Israeli” enemy that your calculations, steps, some of your emotions, and some of your foolish actions in al-Quds, the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria may drag the region into a major war.
In order not to worry some people in Lebanon, it is true that so far Lebanon, Syria, or the Gaza Strip want to go to war in the previous way. The basic strategy of the resistance is popular resistance, daily attrition, etc. This is what we have been witnessing for decades.
However, the enemy's folly, especially in the past few months, may push the region into war. If the enemy government is leaning on an understanding that tells it that the region cannot go to war, then it is mistaken. Yes, no one will be able, at any stage and under certain circumstances, to prevent the region from exploding. Therefore, beware. To the “Israelis”, we say beware.
To the Americans who are preoccupied with Russia and China, we tell them beware, for the sanctities are a red line; the Islamic and Christian sanctities in al-Quds are a red line; al-Khalil [Hebron] is also a red line; and the Palestinian people are a red line.
The regional equation that we talked about and that we are working to consolidate and confirm is the one that protects, protected, and God willing, will protect these sanctities.
On Quds Day, from the southern suburbs, from Beirut, from Lebanon, from the Arab country that created its victory with the blood of its martyrs in 2000 and changed the equations and deterrence scales in the region in 2006, we, along with Imam Khomeini, Imam Khamenei, and all the leaders, the Muslims, Arabs, Palestinians, the honorable, the free, the Christians, and everyone who is committed to this cause, declare that we are committed to them.
Palestine is our cause. Al-Quds is our capital. The sanctities are our sanctities. We will not abandon Palestine. As we always used to say in the most difficult stages and circumstances – when car bombs were detonated in the southern suburbs and in the Beqaa Valley, when the battle was at its most intense in the global war on Syria – [you remember here in the Sayyed al-Shuhada complex we said that] we would not abandon Palestine, the people of Palestine, or the nation’s sanctities in Palestine.
This is our commitment and this is our faith. Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you. {And Allah will surely support those who support Him.} We support God through this response, and God has supported us so far, and He will always support us, God willing.
Many Happy Returns. Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.
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