Resistance and Collaboration

Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah’s speech made on the 8th anniversary of the Resistance and Liberation Day, May 26, 2008, in southern Beirut, Lebanon, was one ofd the best on resistance and collaboration, I’ve ever read. It sould be required reading for all journalists commenting on the Middle East and makes a mockery of American and Israeli claims that Hezbollah are terrorists.

“To those claiming that there is no national agreement regarding resistance in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq I would say that there is also no national agreement on neutrality, treachery, cooperation or carelessness. Every group decides on its own. This is also true in Lebanon.

As always, I advise nations under occupation not to wait for a national or public agreement on resistance, but to pick up weapons and fight for the liberation of their land, nation and prisoners of war and regain their dignity and glory. This cannot be achieved other than by weapons, giving blood and making great sacrifices.

“As a result of the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon and the occupation of a part of our land in 1978, the Security Council issued the Resolution 425. We submitted ourselves to the will of the international community and waited for its implementation. At the time, it was suggested that Lebanon was too weak to face Israel and it would therefore need a strategy of Arab unity.

The UNSC decision, however, was not implemented and an Arab strategy was never found. The international community and the Arab world took no action, and the will to confront was lost. It was at this time that the Imam and leader Seyyed Moussa al-Sadr proposed that the people of southern Lebanon put their trust in God Almighty and resist by any means possible.”

“As has been proven throughout history that a divided country can easily be conquered, such was the case of Lebanon at the time of the Israeli invasion in 1982 and so was the case of Palestine. The same applies to Iraq and shall apply to other countries as well. In the face of occupation, people are divided into various groups and categories:

Some remain neutral toward the occupation while some rule the country and have an extent of authority do not feel the impact of the occupation as the most important thing for them is to eat, drink and enjoy life. Another group are spies and mercenaries, cheap tools such as Antoine Lahid’s army who despite being Lebanese committed shameful acts. Another group consists of the internally defeated elite who cooperate with the occupiers for their own benefits and theoretically believe they can minimize national casualties.

Also, is a group that tacitly defies the occupation but is not willing to endure hardships and pay for freedom with their blood. Finally, there is the group that believes it has an ethical, national, religious and humanitarian responsibility to liberate their fatherland from occupation. They are ready to pay the price whatever it may be. This is the group of resistance. This is the group that takes the necessary action.”

“To those claiming that there is no national agreement regarding resistance in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq I would say that there is also no national agreement on neutrality, treachery, cooperation or carelessness. Every group decides on its own. This is also true in Lebanon.

As always, I advise nations under occupation not to wait for a national or public agreement on resistance, but to pick up weapons and fight for the liberation of their land, nation and prisoners of war and regain their dignity and glory. This cannot be achieved other than by weapons, giving blood and making great sacrifices.

The resistance and the Lebanese people are intertwined with one another. Whether Muslim or not and regardless of sect and political parties, we have given countless martyrs. Self-reliance, jihad, various operations and our male and female youths have brought the resistance so far. Both the Arab and Muslim worlds were duty-bound to offer help. Many, however, have refrained to take action. It was Syria and the Islamic Republic of Iran who actively supported us.

We first achieved victory from 1982 to 1985 and another historical victory was won on May 25, 2000: a magnificent victory for Lebanon, Arabs and the nation and an utter defeat for Israel that shattered its dream of expanding its territory from the Nile to the Euphrates.

Israel has been cut off from southern Lebanon and western Bikaa and the Zionists have suffered a shameful defeat without gains, guarantees or concessions. While the liberating strategy adopted by the resistance succeeded, the negotiation strategy beginning from Madrid was not even able to free an inch of our land.”

“In Iraq, America has occupied the country under the banner of establishing a democracy. The truth is that the American occupation was aimed at monopolizing the country’s resources. Their true objectives becoming more clear every day. How? After the invasion, similar to other occupied nations I mentioned before, Iraqis were divided into two relatively large groups.

One seeks a political process and the other prefers resistance, specifically an armed one. Based on our religious, ideological, intellectual, political experience as well as reality, we the Hezbollah are zealous toward resistance. Those supporting the political process have wasted a great deal of time and are today faced with an extremely difficult test, which is to determine the stance they will take now that America is attempting to impose a security deal on Iraqis, the finalization of which only requires the signatures of the Iraqi government and parliament.”

“The Lebanese resistance has also adopted a defense strategy, which became known to the world in July 2006 when a few thousand men with the support of their nation confronted the greatest army (of course, in Israel’s own opinion!) for several weeks.

We are not talking about a strategy written in books or taught at university but a well-implemented strategy that defeated an invader as the Zionists have conceded. The July war turned the tables, changed the balance and weakened war probabilities.

Indeed my brothers and sisters, it is your patience, nobility, encouragement and resistance along with the blood of our martyrs that fizzled out the Israeli war and attack on Lebanon and changed the odds of the war in the region.

The probability that America can wage war on Iran has been weakened. The same seems to apply to Syria as well. The lessons learned in Lebanon have truly been absorbed.

I would tell those who believe another war is likely in Lebanon that we are honorable people. We fought in the July war and should there be another war, we shall return to the battlefield!

Let us take a look at the defense strategy adopted by Gazans. In the Gaza Strip, Israel faces an asymmetric war. Certainly, it is neither Israeli ethics nor Arab public opinion nor any other Arab or international stance for that matter that has prevented Israel from invading the Strip.

Israel has received the green light from the Pharaoh of our time, George Bush. Israel is lost and has no escape. If its confrontation against the starving and besieged Strip is in vain. Despite the absence of international support and the lack of military, economic and financial balance between the two sides, the defense strategy has proven its effectiveness in Lebanon and Palestine.”

“My brothers and sisters, I call on you today, as I did in Bint Jbeil and Al-Dahiya, for a true and national cooperation based on which no one cancels, drops, or wins over others, an opportunity for all Lebanese to establish a government ruled by their representatives who are honestly elected. I call for providing the Lebanese with a chance to work together without having an ear to outside whisperers.”