Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech in the Memory of the Martyred Leaders 16-2-2018
Local Editor
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our master and Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets Abi Al-Qasim Muhammad Bin Abdullah, and his good and pure family and all his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers. Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you all.
I welcome you all to this solemn and dear ceremony, on this glorious anniversary of our memories and thank you for your presence.
‘We have preserved the will' is what we have titled our commemoration of the memory of our martyrs this year. And we are emerging out or almost emerging out of the harshest international and regional war on the resistance, the axis of resistance and on the resistance's central cause which is Palestine and Al-Quds [Jerusalem]. We preserved the resistance after we emerged victorious from the July war, and we remained steadfast.
Today, we tell our martyred leaders, our Sayyed, our mentor, our guide and our beloved master of the martyrs of the Islamic Resistance, Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi, to his wife, the scholar, the virtuous, the honorable, the martyr, Um Yasser, and Hussein, the martyred child, to his brother, the model and example and the Sheikh of the Islamic Resistance's martyrs, Sheikh Ragheb Harb, to our great Jihadi leader and mentor Hajj Imand Moghniyeh, Hajj Radwan, we tell them that your will was always the resistance, to preserve it, its strength, its survival, its vigor, dignity, pride, and its ability to create victories and achievements. This was always the will. You have made this resistance with your jihad, vigilance, hard work, sacrifices, tears, and in the end with your pure blood. After you came those who preserved the will including martyr leaders who have walked on your path of sacrifice, jihad, vigilance, hard work, tears, and blood in all the fields and squares; the blood that still runs in the veins and fills all the fields without fear, dread, frailty or weakness.
O, our great leaders and masters, this is your path today in 2018. This is your path. It is full of life, vitality, spirit, trust, hope, morale, strength, men, women, young and old, and great hopes and dreams more so than ever before.
In the memory of our martyred leaders, Sayyed Abbas, Sheikh Ragheb and Hajj Imad, we recall their thoughts, minds, path, goals, and priorities. We tell them this is your party. It still bears this thought, way of thinking, path, goals and priorities. You were, still are, and will remain the leaders of the resistance and the guide of our path. You have identified the enemy who is still our enemy. You have charted the path in which we continue to walk on. You have declared the goals that we continue to carry. You, with your pure selves, have sent the spirit, determination, will and strength that still fill our chests. On your path, as we have preserved the will, we will continue to preserve it. O, our leaders and masters, today we are in dire need of being what you were and of the human, religious, jihadi and moral heritage that you have left behind. The challenges after you have grown and increased and are increasing every day.
Brothers and sisters, this anniversary comes when we have great and important merits ahead of us. As usual, I will speak about:
First, the direct subject that has to do with our conflict with the "Israeli" enemy.
Second, some brief regional titles depending on time.
Third, the local issue. I will talk about the elections, one part today and anotherat will have to be postponed for several days.
First: the issue of the ongoing conflict and what is occupying the minds of all Lebanese.
With regard to the issue of Lebanon's land and maritime borders, the economic zone and oil resources, especially the waters in the south, first it seems that the entire region - I mean, let us put the framework in place, not just say as if there is a problem in the region called the Lebanese economic zone and Block 9 that War Minister Lieberman spoke about, let us see the broader framework - it seems that the entire region has become or has publicly entered the heart of the battle for oil and gas. Our subject is not a separate topic. I wanted to begin with this introduction to say: No one treats this issue as a separate issue. Of course, it has many reasons. The dispute over oil and gas in the region as well as greed are well-known issues that do not need explanation. But what gave this battle at this stage a strong push is the presence of the Trump administration with this materialistic mentality and the shameless and stated greed and avarice (he says he is greedy and not ashamed of himself). This is the battle that the "Israeli" launched against Lebanon's marine rights, Block 9 and others. This is one title.
Today inside occupied Palestine, in the "Israeli" press and media, in the specialized centers of studies, there are talks, reports and studies on the huge quantities of oil and gas in the occupied Syrian Golan. You must assume [that there is also gas and oil] in the Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba hills because of the proximity. Therefore, we find that the "Israeli" is trying to exploit the presence of Trump, the current American administration, the general Arab situation, and the conflict in Syria to get an American or international decision to annex the Golan Heights to the "Israeli" entity because the Golan is no longer only a national security issue or the issue of a huge water tank. It has also entered the battle of gas and oil.
If we also go to Syria, there are many reasons for what happened in Syria. But more importantly is that some Arab and foreign leaders and some senior generals - if you have been following from several months until last year - there were numerous reports stating that Syria's oil and gas resources in its land and sea is huge and large. So this is one of the reasons for the conflict over Syria. The main reason is the issue of resistance and the axis of resistance, and the government that is outside the will of the American administration, which has not surrendered to "Israel". All these considerations, and they said and now they will say and this subject will grow in the next stage, that one of the reasons is related to oil and gas in Syria, in the land and in sea.
The American occupation of eastern Syria (east of the Euphrates) up until after Al-Bukamal towards the Iraqi border, up towards Hasakah and Qamishli, we head west to Manbij, now there are American bases there. The Americans have said in the past that when they are done with Daesh, they will leave this area. Daesh is gone, and they have not left. A small part of Daesh remains. They are preserving it, providing it with a safe haven, and preventing anyone from harming Daesh. They are preventing the resistance, the Syrian Arab Army and even the Russians.
The recent clash on this background, in the Pentagon's budget - as we have read - is that there is more than 500 million dollars to 750 million dollars allocated under the title the Syrian Democratic Forces and under the title the Kurdish protection units. The amount is about 750 million dollars in early 2018. This is for what? For the democracy in Syria? Protection of the Kurds, who unfortunately I should advise them to learn from past experiences. The Americans are using you as tools in their conflict and battle with the government in Syria, with the Islamic Republic, with Russia and with the Axis of Resistance, even in other aspects. Eventually, they will work for their benefit, abandon you and sell you in the slave market.
This large amount of money is for what? They say they are staying. Even at the Tanf Base, they are staying. Daesh is gone and has been completely expelled from the Syrian Badiya [desert], and they are staying in Tanf and east of the Euphrates, why? Because the most important oil and gas wells in Syria are located in eastern Syria. The Trump administration now sees Iraq with oil eyes. Iraq to Trump and the Trump Administration is oil fields, not people, state, government, future, security and a country emerging from a huge catastrophic war that has had a serious impact on its infrastructure. Trump sees Iraq as oil and oil wells. He declared during his election campaign (oil): ‘we have made a mistake. We have to send troops back and maintain the oil wells.' Therefore, the Iraqis must pay careful attention because this man is fulfilling his electoral promises. And what he did regarding the issue of Al-Quds was not at all small, he insulted and attacked at least two billion Muslims and Christians. So today, Trump's administration with regard to the Iraqi issue says we will not repeat the mistakes of the past and the mistakes committed by the Obama administration.
Thus, the approach in Iraq is oil. We add that the problem between Turkey and Cyprus began with oil. And months ago, we had the Gulf crisis. It is said - and perhaps it is true - that the real background is the control by some of the Gulf states over Qatar's gas and oil resources. You know that Qatar has very large quantities.
Thus, there is a battle for oil and gas. It is run by the US, in the east of the Euphrates run by the US, and in Iraq also the Americans, and in the Gulf as well. Everyone knows the problem between Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the UAE and Qatar. If Trump wanted it to end, it will end in two hours. The people know all of this. Today in the "Israeli" issue, too, the issue is run with the same background and mentality.
I wanted to start with this introduction to tell all Lebanese that today we are facing a battle that we must approach differently. One day when the "Israeli" enemy occupied southern Lebanon or after its withdrawal to the border in 2000, it is possible that some Lebanese considered that this battle was not their battle, and that this battle is for the people of the south and the battle of the people of the Bekaa, for example. This is a matter of the past. Today, the oil resources in the south, like the rest of the oil wealth in Lebanon, belong to all Lebanese. It belongs to the Lebanese. It will enter the coffers of the Lebanese people whose debt is accumulating. It can exceed $ 80 billion, and now we will bring in $ 17 billion in debt and will exceed 100 billion in the coming years. The Lebanese have no other sources and resources. And the only hope is in this oil and gas wealth present in our waters and sea - and as it turned out - in our land. This file must be opened, and I will speak about this file later.
Therefore, this wealth is for Lebanon, and this hope is for Lebanon. And this is the way of salvation for Lebanon. This merit can put the Lebanese economy, the livelihood of the Lebanese and the lives of the Lebanese on a promising and different road. How will we deal with this battle? Is Block 9 the battle of the south? No, it is the battle of all of Lebanon. Is the economic zone in the south with occupied Palestine the battle of the south? No, it is the battle of all the Lebanese.
Second, we must know that the main point of conflict today is not land borders. Land borders have a very easy solution. The main issue is the maritime borders, economic zone and waters. The Americans and others want to give us our easy right, which is called the disputed points at the land borders, so that they can take the hard right in the sea, waters and oil. This is what we must pay attention to. Now what is happening is that the enemy is building a wall, and as long as the wall is not within Lebanese territory, it means it is building it in the Palestinian territories. This is part of the occupation and part of the occupation practices. It has erected a wall inside occupied Palestine, and this is another research.
So far, it has not touched Lebanese land. That is why in media we must not ....
When it is said that the state, the Supreme Defense Council have taken a decision and the "Israeli" is still building the wall, there is no contradiction, because the wall is still being built outside Lebanese territory. The issue is when construction begins on the disputed Lebanese land. The Lebanese state and the Supreme Defense Council, and in a previous meeting, the three presidents agreed and took a decision that Lebanon will confront it, now we are going to see what will happen. But now it is not a matter of land borders, but of maritime border and waters.
Third, the Lebanese so far have been unified and are still united in this battle; the battle of maritime borders and oil rights, which means oil and gas - to be short.
[They are] united in the call to preserve Lebanon's rights and border and not to neglect them. We must remain united because the united official and popular Lebanese position is more important. I am saying important and not the most important. It is the most important factor to win this battle and to fulfill the achievement in this battle. Lebanese officials and Lebanese political forces should not allow the demons to play among the Lebanese, to divide their ranks or tear their position. I mean by demons, the American. They are demons at the level of insinuations in this file.
Fourth, we have said earlier that we have been committed since 2000, and we remain committed to the fact that from the position of the resistance, we do not interfere in the demarcation of the land border or in demarcation of the maritime border. This is the responsibility of the state, and therefore we told the officials what our opinion and position were. And we said that we do not interfere in Kilometers, height and width. This is the responsibility of the state. In 2000, I am reminding you, I said, on the eve of the victory, we as a resistance are committed to every inch of the Lebanese territory, which the Lebanese state says is Lebanese land. Not me, the resistance, is saying that this is Lebanese land. Of course the background of the party's position in this matter, I do not want to talk about it, but this is the situation.
Today also, as long as we are at the heart of this battle, I say: We are outside this debate. The land borders, the maritime borders and the rights of Lebanon are determined by the state and state institutions, which means this is not a privilege, I do not give a privilege. No, this is their responsibility. Defending the country is the responsibility of the state, and the resistance just came as a replacement for the lost. It came to fill the empty space. We do not give privileges. This is the responsibility of the state. But this responsibility also means that state officials and state institutions when dealing with this sensitive historic and economic dossier must be at the level of trust, and honesty and at a high degree of courage. The Lebanese people are now looking up to you. We are all concerned to support the state and its position. We should support it and stand by it in all that it wants and all that it requests. But the state is also concerned in having a solid, strong and firm position.
Fifth: This is a very important point. The state and the Lebanese people should deal with this file from the position that we are strong and not weak. If the Lebanese consider themselves weak, then this is the beginning of weakness. We have lost the battle. What do they say in our villages? "You bake in weddings." It is done. Hence, within the official Lebanese leadership Lebanese officials, if there is a sense of fear, weakness, weariness or inability to do anything, or if there is global and international pressure on us that we cannot tolerate, come to us so we can abuse our rights, borders, resources, and sovereignty. This is the beginning of weakness, and this is the way of losing.
I want to tell everyone: We are Lebanon, and I am not talking about the resistance only. If we are united, and we have the capabilities and energies, we are strong. We must negotiate as strong people. And this file should be followed as strong people. And you can threaten "Israel" which is threatening you. And if the Americans told you: You must comply with me so I can keep "Israel" away from you. Tell the Americans that they must heed to our demands so that we can keep Hezbollah away from "Israel".
The "Israeli" knows and the American knows, those who came to speak about the subject of Hezbollah know, and I want to tell the Lebanese: The only power you have, while retaining the golden formula, in this battle, the battle of oil and gas, the only power you got O, Lebanese is the resistance because the Lebanese army is forbidden from owning land-to-land or land-to-sea or land-to-air missiles not because it is weak. The Lebanese army from its leadership, officers, and soldiers possess a high level of courage, honor and responsibility. But it is forbidden from owning weapons. Who is banning weapons from the Lebanese army? The Americans. I will return to that soon.
Hence, today Lebanon and any Lebanese can stand up and say: No, slowly. If you want to prevent us, we will prevent you. If you bomb us, we will bomb you. If you strike us, we will strike you. We have the courage, we have the strength, we have the ability and our enemy knows it. This is not just rhetoric from the bad Arab times. This is not a threat to be taken lightly. The "Israeli" knows. That is why we hope that the state deals with strength. You just take the decision, and we are under that command. Let us try. Let us conduct an experiment. You are strong. Now the official Lebanese Supreme Defense Council is taking the decision that certain gas and oil stations in the Palestinian sea, which "Israel" is occupying is not allowed to function. I promise you within a few hours, it will no longer function.
I mean, we have to act as if these are our rights, and no one is giving them to us. These are our rights, and we must get them. We are strong and capable of obtaining them.
Sixth: The current mediator. The state is free to accept the mediator that it wants. We will not veto it. Even as a political force or as ministers in the Lebanese government, we will not veto it. You welcomed the Americans and American "middlemen", and you talk with the Americans, that is okay. But we want to point out that the American is not an honest mediator, especially if the other side of the mediation is the "Israeli" entity. And you want proof? Listen to the Palestinian Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization and all the Palestinians, who have said in many ways and on all platforms: America is not an honest mediator, and after what Trump did with Al-Quds, is there still a discussion? America is not an honest mediator, and you have to act with the American mediator as if he is a lawyer for the "Israelis". There is no three. The Lebanese is negotiating with the "Israeli" represented by Tillerson or Satterfield or X. This is the truth. Therefore do not count on this mediation. The American does not want the interest of the Lebanese at all. He wants the interests of the Zionists, and he wants to take as much of our water and wealth as possible for the Zionists. With this background we must pay attention when we are negotiating with the Americans. More than this, O, brothers, people, sisters, the Lebanese people: You all know what happened this week. This does not require any special information. What happened with the officials and ministers? Those are the Americans. There was never and is no American mediation. The Americans came to inform, dictate and threaten that if Lebanon does not accept such and such now -I will not delve into details - there will be no borders, no oil, no water and no companies to come. This is a mediator. He came to deliver threatening messages to the Lebanese. And you must accept this and if you do not accept this and that. This is a mediator. Anyway, even the formalities of the mediation, they did not preserve.
I want to end this part of the speech and say: We are facing a historical and very important stage for Lebanon, its economy, its future and its sovereignty. All Lebanese must act united, conscious, responsible, courageous and faithful. We must believe in our right and our strength. We must not be fooled away from our rights and not taken by intimidation and threats. God willing, we will be victorious.
Sure unity, steadfastness, resoluteness, sincerity and adherence to the rights bring victory. There is no debate on this. Yes, things take time, and there are fights and flights, but things end well. The second point is also in the "Israeli" context. In the "Israeli" issue with Lebanon in the entire region, we must always remain alert and cautious on more than one line.
Now on the subject of the borders or the subject of the war, all are subject to debate. Although the subject of the construction of the wall and speeding up the construction of the wall in many of the border points with Lebanon has its implications and has been talked about it previously. In any case, it is one of the signs of weakness and weariness and fear. And it does not mean that the "Israeli" left the offensive dimension, but he is also taking into consideration his defensive dimension aw well as his fear of his colonies, of Galilee and of the north. All this is taken into account, but there are other dangerous routes.
In my last speech, I referred to the issue of "Israel's" security operations in Lebanon. The assassination attempt in Sidon of a brother member in Hamas who was not killed, God Almighty saved him. This may have slightly lessened the impact of the matter in the country. But the story is very serious. Today, I am not saying that as the resistance that I am accused of the "Israeli" issue. The official Lebanese security services have proved through investigations, arrests and sensual evidences that the "Israelis" carried out this operation and arrested people. And those who fled to Turkey were brought back. This is of course a commendable effort by the Lebanese government and the Lebanese security services.
"Israel" carried out an operation on Lebanese soil and in Sidon, and it was an assassination. This is an attack on Lebanese security, on Lebanese sovereignty and on people in Lebanon. In the end, a Lebanese, a Palestinian, a Syrian, any resident on Lebanese soil is the responsibility of the Lebanese state. And now the state, what will it do? The "Israeli" will continue this course or might not continue this course? I said this is a dangerous path. And I repeat and say this is a dangerous path that needs a position and plan. This path cannot be overlooked.
Although some tried to ease it, but there are "Israeli" beginnings and indicators to incite other assassinations in Lebanon. I am not the one who spoke about it. The official security services talked about it. The Lebanese judiciary talked about it. There are detainees at the Lebanese judiciary. If these assassinations were carried out with the present situation in Lebanon, Lebanon would be taken into internal strife. This is not a security issue. This is national security, personal security and social security, which ever you want. The state, what will it do about this matter? This really needs follow-up.
Now, too, for more reflection. I will be content with this amount and say this is a path that cannot be tolerated or not stopped at or overlooked.
On the subject of airspace violations. Isn't Lebanon a state? What I have observed over the last three weeks is that it is not permissible in the official Lebanese literature - we are talking about land and sea - are we a state that does not have a sky? We do not have a sky? We conceded and accepted "Israeli" sovereignty over our airspace? Airspace sovereignty so to speak. The daily and hourly airspace violation, and the attacks on the airspace of Lebanon, Syria, and neighboring countries. How will this be dealt with? Here we are not talking about the fact that we have to take action, so that no one comes out and says that Sayyed wants to involve us in the Syrian war as well. Look, Syria is defending itself.
Here, we come to what happened last week. In two words: Syria is defending itself. Of course, what happened last week is a very large qualitative military achievement, and certainly what comes after is not the same as what was before. And certainly with the bare minimum, no matter how modest we were with the significance of the incident, the "Israeli" is no longer comfortable as he used to be - like what happened with the issue of the sea with Sa'ar 5 during the July war. Now the "Israeli" is calculating and measuring in meters its air movement, where he should get closer, where he should move away, where he should come, and where he should go.
This will certainly have a very important impact on the movement of the "Israeli" air force. The "Israelis" are talking about this subject, and this is not our research. I am talking about the implications of this incident and its effects on the resistance and the axis of resistance and the project of conflict in the region, not from the context in which I entered it.
I want to say that since the easing of the internal situation the Syrian leadership has taken a decision that any "Israeli" warplane that enters the Syrian airspace, must be confronted by the ground defenses. There is no discussion. Even if rockets are fired at Syrian territories, air defenses must confront them. This decision has been implemented several months ago. But what happened last week was that the confrontation was severe, and God Almighty aided with the firing of the shot "And you threw not, when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that."
What I want to say here is that as a result of the distortion that took place within a week, you know there is a slow process that has been going on for years called weakening everything that is called Syria. In this confrontation now, why did the "Israeli" plane crash? How did this battle take place?
They say this is an Iranian decision and this is a Russian decision. This is "empty talk". The decision to shoot down the "Israeli" aircraft and missiles in Syria is a Syrian decision, the decision of the Syrian leadership, the decision of President Bashar Assad only. The allies took note that we circulated this decision, take note, be in the picture, this decision is being implemented. As if this is a way to underestimate everything called a Syrian army, Arab armies. It is called Arab and "whatever". And who downed the plane? Who sits on the air defenses and brought the plane down? Those were the Iranians. No, they were the Russians. Later they said it was Hezbollah. No, "my dears". The one who shot down the plane and was sitting at the air defenses in Syria were the officers and soldiers of the brave Syrian Arab army.
During the seven years, we have mixed with them more than when they were in Lebanon. When they were in Lebanon, we were not exactly friends. We have become more acquainted with them, and we have found that the officers and soldiers in the Syrian Arab Army possess knowledge, experience, alertness, courage and accuracy, which put them at a very high level.
What is this weakening for? What is this belittling when describing a truth that we should be proud of? All those who agree with the government in Syria and those who disagree with it anywhere in the Arab and Muslim world should take pride in this heroic action carried out by the Syrian Arab Army and its air defenses and through a decision by its Syrian leadership. This should be a pride. Of course, we always salute and express our appreciation and pride in this vigilance and this valor and heroic action.
We come back to us. What about this violation? How long will it last? When Tirlson arrived yesterday and before him Satterfield, anyone can- of course we never expect - but anyone can assume that the American came to tell the Lebanese officials that we are with you and by your side, and we will prevent "Israel" from escalating the security situation in Lebanon, and we will not allow "Israel" to violate your sovereignty, and we will give you your rights to the water. For example, how much did they ask for "Israel' in the Pentagon's budget? I do not know whether they have agreed to it or not. The Pentagon asked for aid to "Israel", perhaps it is a military assistance of $ 3 billion and 300 million. My brother, I might be confused with 300 million. Without the 300 million, $ 3 billion of military assistance to "Israel". The Lebanese army, America supports it and will aid it with how much? 40 million, 50 million, my brother 100 and 150 million. Who are they kidding?
It gives the most important strategic aircraft to "Israel". Lebanon is not only not given planes, it is also not given air defense to defend itself, protects itself, and protect its sovereignty.
In any case, what I am saying here at this stage, no, the "Israeli" issue - I don't think that there is someone discussing it in Lebanon. In 1982, Hezbollah, the Amal movement, political leaders and national and Islamic parties were faced by many voices. There was a discussion in the country; "Israel" is an enemy, it is not an enemy, it has ambitions, it has no ambitions. Well, we are done. Today, after what happened, is there a Lebanese discussing the ambitions of "Israel" in Lebanon? There is no one. I do not think there is anyone discussing. Is there anyone discussing that based on these ambitions there are "Israeli" threats on Lebanon? No one is supposed to discuss this. This matter has to do with Hezbollah's weapons. Instead of coming to address the reasons, the American wants to deal with the outcome.
Well, in order to confront these ambitions and these threats we have elements of power. He wants to take away Lebanon's elements of power. In any ways, we in this matter are cautious and alert. I do not want to say that things are heading towards a war as the media, publications and articles say. In the subject of war I say what I have always said, it has complex calculations. Of course, if the "Israeli" says he does not want war, we will not believe him that he absolutely does not war. He might want or might not want. What is preventing the "Israeli" from war is his uncertainty of victory, and this equation is what our leaders the martyrs laid the foundation for.
Well, I move to the regional situation. There are two or three fast points in the same context.
Palestine: The continuation of the American blockade of the Palestinian people, the prevention of aid to the Palestinian Authority, which ultimately carries certain responsibilities in the social, life, financial matters, etc, listing the Palestinian resistance movements and leaders of the Palestinian resistance movements on terror lists, new sanctions in the US House of Representatives on Palestinian movements, and more pressure. But what remains as the factor of hope that we must emphasize on and strongly support is the Palestinian consensus in rejecting Trump's decision and the Palestinian consensus in refusing to submit to the deal of the century. These are the declared positions.
The Palestinian people have presented examples in the last few weeks. I will only mention three names:
The martyr son of a martyr, martyr Ahmed Jarrar. This is a high-class model. The whole nation must ponder this and not just the Palestinian people. One young man, a member, stood in the face of the "Israeli" army, "Israeli" arrogance and "Israeli" aggression. This fighter was given martyrdom. Of course martyr Ahmed also, and his mother's logic, which we all heard about in the media.
Two: the girl Ahd Tamimi. A courageous, brave attitude. This girl who slaps "Israeli" soldiers and faces them. She stands in court while her mother and father tell her to be steadfast, strong and courageous and firm.
Three: Umar al-Abd, who was tried yesterday, four life sentences and the prevention of entry into any exchange deal. How does he receive the four life sentences? With a smile, and Lieberman gets angry. I was drawn by Lieberman's anger. [As if he was saying], look at him, we sentenced him to four life sentences, and we do not want to negotiate when it comes him, and he receives this with a smile.
This is the Palestinian people. When we talk about hope, the future and the prospects of this conflict, because we are betting on these people. And those are from their environment, the people of their environment. They are not isolated from this environment.
The next point: In February, we have the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. It means that we have 39 years of the establishment since the government of the Islamic Republic, which was created by the Islamic Revolution - the Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Shah's regime. The Iranian people wit its will and referendum founded the government of the Islamic Republic and the constitution of the Islamic Republic. 39 years. The Iranian people are building this state, this government and this republic, and defends its true independence. Iran is a state in which there is no one in the world who interferes in its decisions, never, not in its constitution, its laws, its policies, its strategies, its programs and nothing. [No one] is defending its independence, sovereignty, presence, power and growth. 39 years of Western, American and some Arab aggression on this people, on this government and on this country is met with more steadfastness. Bets we heard a few weeks ago. Yesterday we saw with our own eyes the millions demonstrations in Iranian cities.
On the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, we express our pride, our greetings, our love and our faith in this blessed Islamic revolution, this blessed Islamic government, and its stance alongside Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, the peoples of the Arab nation, the rights of Arabs and Muslims, and bearing the fallouts of this stance and steadfastness. On behalf of all of you, we extend our greetings to His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, to all the officials of the Islamic Republic and to the dear people, individually.
Here, of course, between two brackets, God willing, we will expand on this later because they are working on it. The Americans are coming to help us as Lebanese, to prevent Iranian intervention in Lebanon. On behalf of all the Lebanese I will suffice with a statement: Show me the Iranian intervention in Lebanon? Show me one intervention only. I accept one example that Hezbollah represents Iranian interests. What is the Iranian interest that Hezbollah serves in Lebanon and which is not a Lebanese interest? This is a great injustice to say this. I tell you and we are the allies of Iran and the friends of Iran. We pride ourselves on this strategic, ideological relationship. Describe it the way you want. Iran does not interfere in Lebanon with anything at all. Not in the presidential elections. It does not say use a veto on this president or bring that person as president, whereas, there are countries that veto and raise a veto. Iran does not do that. They did not accept a prime minister nor vetoed a prime minister. But there are countries that veto and also hold a prime minister hostage and not just use a veto. Now, there are parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Where is the Iranian interference in the parliamentary elections in Lebanon? But I will state capitals, embassies and countries. We will come shortly to the parliamentary elections. Anyway, I do not want to prolong this point. Le us put the slogans aside. Give me an example, where Iran intervened in the Lebanese internal affairs? Where did Iran decide on behalf of the Lebanese?
This is the first question. The second question: give me one example of an act that Hezbollah did which was not for the benefit of Lebanon but for Iran? Let us come out of the broad allegations. Lebanon to Iran is an ally and brother, and friend. It just wants good for Lebanon, and it presented it with everything possible. It is present to provide not only in the dimension of resistance, in arming the army, in the development dimension, in the matter of oil and the matter of electricity. But I have stated before, and I repeat and say: O, Lebanese, your government does not want. There is no state that says I am ready to help with everything and be with you in everything, not just resistance. There is a problem here and not there.
The next point, also from the memories of February: Seven years have passed since the peaceful popular uprising in Bahrain. Steadfastness, determination, challenge, scholars in house arrest, His Eminence Sheikh Isa Qassim, scholars, icons, youth and thousands of young people in prisons, but the demonstrations did not stop. Arbitrary judicial sentence, implementation of arbitrary executions.
This people did not stop. I tell you, according to my knowledge, it will not stop, not after seven years, nor eight years, nor ten years. It is adamant on its rightful demands rightful demands. This is the blood of its prisoners, and this is the injustice of its prisoners, and this is the pain and suffering of its families, prisoners, detainees, and mothers and fathers of martyrs.
But there is an issue I will point out in Bahrain, which is very dangerous. One of the days, I said that the project that is taking place in Bahrain is a demographic change and similar the Israeli project. There are people who criticized it. I would like to reiterate on this issue. It is probably the only country in the world that penalizes - maybe there is second or third country to be on the safe side - that punishes by revoking citizenship. That is meaning the Bahraini government gives nationalities to people from all over the world. Who wants to see on social media will find songs praising Bahrain - we are Bahrainis - but in Indian, Pakistani and other languages, and you won't understand what they speak. He speaks a little broken Arabic. It brings and naturalizes. It punishes by stripping the nationality from the native Bahrainis. The disaster is that the government and the authority that is stripping the nationality from the native Bahrainis are not indigenous Bahrainis. They were brought to Bahrain to rule Bahrain.
Even after seven years, we can only express our position through the media. What can we do? But to this oppressed people, we reaffirm that we stand by their side. Our prayers are for them, and our support is for them. Of course, what we are being accused of is not true. But talking and our position through the media are also required in this context.
Before I end, I want to touch on the topic of the elections in the last part. Also on Yemen, I have nothing new to talk about. But I see from a moral duty toward this global silence. The entire world and international institutions speak of 20 million hungry people and speak of hundreds of thousands of cholera cases. We see that the daily bombardment is still going on, the daily carnage, global silence, global silence, and global silence.
Interestingly, my brothers and sisters in this Arab and Muslim world and in this world, there are few voices that talk about the sufferings of the Yemeni people, including our voice. However, this voice is intended to be silenced. Lebanon is being threatened. We are being threatened. The Lebanese are being threatened. Why? Because there is a person in Lebanon or there is a party in Lebanon standing and saying occasionally that what is happening in Yemen is a huge aggression, a great injustice, oppression, massacres and brutality. O world, O Arabs, O Muslims, stop this aggression. Even this voice that may or may not present anything records a position for this world and the hereafter. It is required to be silent. I tell you: It will not be silent, God willing, because this is the weakest of faith towards the resilient Yemeni people.
The elections are the last part. Here we will talk calmly, God willing, and I will not be long. We have elections. We have an electoral law based on proportional representation. It is a fair law, although it could have been better that is in the subject of the constituencies and other issues. But this law, is the best electoral law in the history of Lebanon, one.
Secondly, this law, which some are trying to say is Hezbollah's law, by God, it is not Hezbollah's law. This is similar to the government of President Miqati. And it was said that it was the government of Hezbollah. This is not Hezbollah's law. Yes, Hezbollah was a partner in creating this law. It was effective and influential in creating this law. But this law was agreed upon by the political forces. In any event, whether you consider it Hezbollah's law or not, I tell you that this new electoral law in Lebanon is a political pride. It is the most important political achievement in the past decades. Put the Taif Agreement aside. If we are to speak of political achievement, this is one of the most important political achievements in the country. We must deal with it on this basis.
The importance of this law is that it has opened the way for everyone who has popular support to enter and be represented in the parliament. And all that was said about the imbalance has ended. Now, there is no more imbalance, but there are people who insist on talking about it. By God, there is no imbalance anywhere. There is an electoral quotient. Do you people? Are you popular? Would you get an electoral quotient? It is not half plus one, but an electoral quotient. You take a seat in parliament.
One of the results of this law is that in the elections this year there is no bone breaking elections. No one can run a bone breaking election as it is said because the law does not allow anything of this. The majoritarian law, yes, takes all the circles to the bone breaking battles. But the law base on proportional representation, no, each person takes his share, his size and normal position. No one can break the other. This is supposed to take us to peaceful elections, elections that do not cause sedition in the country because there is no bone breaking.
The next point. We are going to elections where there are no two camps. There is no vertical division as in the 2009 elections or before 2009 in particular. There are no two camps: the March 8 camp and a coalition of the Free Patriotic Movement and the March 14 camp. No, today there are political forces that will form lists. There are people whose color or name according to the previous - because now there is a debate in the country whether there is still a March 14 or no longer? Is there a March 8 or not anymore? I do not want to enter into this debate. But today there are political forces affiliated with March 14 that will compete in single district. And there are people and political forces affiliated with March 8 that may compete in single district. You will see in circles people from March 14 forces coalescing with the Free Patriotic Movement, for example, or with people from the March 8 Forces. It will be a hustle and bustle.
Therefore today, no one can ever present the 2018 election battle as a losing battle between two major political camps in the country. So we can also coalesce here (a certain circle) and not coalesce here (in another circle) even within the coalition circle itself. I will get back to this later.
Based on this description, this real description of the elections today, we will see, for example that the Future Movement may coalesce with the Free Patriotic Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party and others in this circle and compete in that circle. The Amal movement and us are allied in all districts. Us and Amal or us alone may be coalescing with the Free Patriotic Movement in this district and competing in the other. You might see a certain party from March 8 with a certain party from March 8 competing in a certain district.
This is coming in the elections. This is normal. Allow the political forces to work on the elections. This is what we have told all our allies and all our friends. We told them to be comfortable, take the choices that you think are appropriate, coalesce with those you want, work for your interests. What is mentioned in some media - I don't want to deny it - we do not impose lists, and we do not impose candidates on lists, and we do not impose candidates on a certain political force or tell a certain party to nominate this candidate, never.
Yes, we love to have all our friends and allies in united and common lists. Definitely we would love it. Definitely we are trying to help. But we do not impose anything on anyone. Every person should take into account his full interests, his electoral interest, his political interest, and the sensitivities in the country. He should take the existing sensitivities in the region. Let him be comfortable.
There are two, and so far there are two who have made their choice in all of Lebanon: Hezbollah and the Amal movement. We ended early, months ago. The rest of the political forces may coalesce here and may compete there. This will be evident when the lists are formed. Based on all the above, the language we have been hearing for weeks which is trying to find a title for a battle that Hezbollah is seeking parliamentary majority in the next parliamentary elections has no basis. And in order not to prolong this paragraph, what is this talk for?
It is possible for many reasons that there are people who want to frighten some countries and some region, O America, O Saudi Arabia, O Emirates, Rescue us. This law gives Hezbollah a majority in the parliament. Save us. Give us financial support and media support. Reconcile us with one another, gather us and put us in one list. Impose us on each other, otherwise Hezbollah will engulf parliament. This could be a reason, of course, a false, deceptive reason. There are political forces that have been selling fake Lebanese goods to the world for a long time.
The reason could be the pressure to amend the electoral law on the grounds that this law leads to Hezbollah becoming a majority in the parliament. To get more pressure on Hezbollah. We should expect from now until the elections, financial sanctions, terrorist lists, names on terrorist lists, and the International Tribunal
Again. Expect from now until the elections that the politicized International Tribunal, which is subject to political considerations, to enter the electoral battle because it is a political court. Unfortunately, it is very regrettable to exploit the blood of martyred Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in political battles.
There might be several reasons. But the answer in Lebanon according to this law is not Hezbollah. There is no political party in Lebanon, no matter how great it was, to win a majority in the parliament. Even when the elections are over, be careful, be careful. No one comes out with fake achievements, such as: We have prevented Hezbollah from obtaining a majority in the parliament. What is this nonsense? You are fighting the air, my dear. You are standing in front of a mirror and fighting yourself. There is no political party in Lebanon, no matter how great and large it was, to get a majority in the parliament. As long as the elections are not between two camps and there is no vertical division in Lebanon, then there is no camp that can come out at the end of the elections and say that our camp won the parliamentary majority because people have coalesced with each other against others, allied with each other, and opponents that allied with each other. How will you deduce this outcome?
Therefore, now we are going to the elections. Let us put it in a slightly cold atmosphere, and in the subject of alliances also let us resolve it. Us and Amal are done. We are allies from a long time, and we are done. Of course, with the March 8 forces we have an understanding. We have no problem and it is natural. And this is what we said from the beginning.
With the Lebanese Forces - no the Patriotic Movement, I will leave it to the end - with the Lebanese Forces there is no alliance. It is natural because we do not have anything in common in politics and we do not have anything in common in the elections. This is natural. There is nothing to be done here, neither from them nor us.
As for the Future Movement, a month or two ago, whenever an occasion comes (they say): We will coalesce with everyone except Hezbollah. We will coalesce except with Hezbollah. My brother, who asked to be allied with you? Rest your self and do not pressure yourself, guys. Do not be cornered. You do not have to be upset. Nothing. This matter was not even raised and is not raised. It was never in our mind. So there is no reason. The Future Movement can rest assured. Now, if it considers that its electoral battle is with Hezbollah, I would like to tell them that our electoral battle is with no one. Us in Lebanon in 2018, we do not have an electoral battle with anyone. There is an electoral law. Everyone can say what they have and take their share according to the law based on proportional representation. It does not require battles at this level or forming titles or what so ever.
With the Free Patriotic Movement, the political alliance is strong and solid, the understanding is fixed and firm. Now, we are not a single party. Sometimes we might disagree in some situations, in some incidents. Since it is a February event, we have to reaffirm on it in February 6. It is firm and continuous. The relationship does not shake as a result of a position here, even if some matters were harsh or hard or the incident was bitter for example. But in the end, there is a keen and firm commitment from both sides to this political alliance. On the electoral topic, the talk between them and us so far is that - meaning we talk to each other - we should be comfortable. We are not bound to anything, in some circles we can coalesce, and in others we can be in varying lists, as long as the battle is not bone breaking. The Free Patriotic Movement and us can see our electoral interests and serve them. This does not spoil the friendliness. The topic of the Progressive Socialist Party as well. March 8, we spoke. March 8 includes all the sects and well known figures, also this is open to discussion. We have not decided anything on this subject.
So with alliances, things are easy. I conclude by saying that we reiterate that after all the experiences, the Lebanese have to know that today there is no majority of one color. There is no majority of one political camp. No one can rule this country independently of the basic political forces, not only the sectarian components but also even the basic political forces. This country's composition, formulation, and status is partnership. As long as there is partnership, there is no need for the world to evoke a big problem on this subject.
Regarding our nominations, God willing, in these coming days we will decide the names of Hezbollah's candidates, not the lists. The lists will come later. who will be on this list or that list, we and our brothers in the Amal Movement, we and the rest of the allies will agree on the composition of the lists. We will determine the names of Hezbollah's candidates who belong to Hezbollah. I, God willing, will be at your service on Monday or Tuesday. I mean, let us keep the subject flexible. At six o'clock, I will be on TV. I will start with an introduction and announce the names of Hezbollah's candidates for the 2018 elections as well as the political rationalities and considerations.
I am content with this amount in the parliamentary elections because it is an process that we will continue to speak about in the coming months, the next two months until Election Day. Again, to Sayyed Abbass Al-Moussawi, Sheikh Ragheb Harb, our beloved Hajj Imand Moghniyeh, to all our leaders, martyrs and dears who have passed: we have preserved the will, and we will preserve the will. We will carry your blood, goals, faces, names, thoughts, minds, direction, and guidance. We will bring victory to Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and all the region. Peace and mercy of God be upon you all.
Source: Hezbollah Media Relations, Translated by website team
