Fneish: We should continue with resistance to liberate Shibaa Farms and Kafar Shouba Hills
Source: AFP, 18-7-2008
BEIRUT: Hizbullah official and Labor Minister Mohammad Fneish said that Hizbullah had never forgotten its historical relations with Jumblatt, adding that Hizbullah was ready to extend its hand to Jumblatt in the future.
Speaking at a ceremony in liberated prisoner Samir Kintar's hometown of Aabey, southeast of Beirut, Fneish said Lebanon would not have been able to free all Lebanese prisoners in "Israeli" jails had it not of the resistance.
"We should continue with the resistance to liberate the Shibaa Farms and the Kafar Shouba Hills," he added, referring to a border territory that "Israel" still occupied despite its withdrawal from most of Lebanon in May 2000.
Fneish said the agenda of the Lebanese state did not conflict with that of the resistance.
"We have wasted enough time ... we should cooperate to overcome the past, especially after the formation of the national unity Cabinet," he said.
"We will stretch our hand to our national partners with open hearts and minds regardless of unpleasant past experiences," he added.
Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday that only Lebanese national unity can protect the resistance, in reference to Hizbullah."Arms cannot protect arms ... only national unity can protect the resistance," he said.
Jumblatt said that there was no contradiction between the resistance and the Taif Agreement, which ended Lebanon's 15-year Civil War (1975-1990) and introduced major amendments to the Lebanese Constitution of 1926.
"There is no contradiction between the resistance and the Taif Agreement ... there is no contradiction between the resistance and the international tribunal," he said, referring to the UN-sponsored court to try suspects in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"There is no contradiction between Lebanon and the resistance after gradually agreeing on a defense strategy," he said, adding that protecting the resistance did not conflict with having sound relations and mutual respect between Lebanon and Syria.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan also spoke at the ceremony and said that the new Cabinet's ministerial statement should not avoid "recognizing the legitimacy of the resistance."
Arslan paid tribute to Nasrallah and stressed "the mountains will always back the resistance."
Kintar, who was released on Wednesday after spending almost 30 years in "Israeli" jails, called on all Lebanese "to rally around the resistance."
"Let us all remember Kamal Jumblatt ... Had he been with us, he would have called on his comrades to cut any hand that dares to touch the arms of the resistance," Kintar said.
The late Kamal Jumblatt is the founder of the PSP and the father of Walid Jumblatt.
Kintar said the resistance shall continue even after the liberation of the Shibaa Farms.
"Whoever believes that liberating Shibaa Farms would put an end to the resistance is wrong ... even if we left the "Israelis" alone, they will not leave us," he said.
"Look at the way they treated the people who signed treaties with them ... Look at what they did to former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat," he added, indirectly blaming "Israel" for the Palestinian leader's death in November 2004.
As he arrived at his family house earlier on Thursday, Kintar said he had no regrets over what he did three decades ago.
Kintar was arrested in the northern "Israeli" town of Nahariya in 1978 and was convicted of killing three "Israelis".
"I haven't for even one day regretted what I did," he said. "On the contrary, I remain committed to my political convictions."
Kintar received a hero's welcome at his hometown as many people from the village and neighboring areas attended the rally to meet him.
"We are very happy on this beautiful day, this is a victory for Lebanon and the national resistance," said Yusra Khaddaj, 39, as she stood with her three young daughters on the road leading to Aabey.
"Samir Kintar is the son of all the Lebanese," she added.
One banner along the road leading to Aabey read: "From Palestine to Iraq to Lebanon, the resistance is victorious."
Earlier on Thursday, Kintar visited Hizbullah's senior security official Imad Moghnieh's tomb in Hizbullah's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut before heading to his village in a triumphant convoy.
Moghnieh was killed in a bombing in Syria last February. His death was blamed on "Israel", which denied any responsibility.
BEIRUT: Hizbullah official and Labor Minister Mohammad Fneish said that Hizbullah had never forgotten its historical relations with Jumblatt, adding that Hizbullah was ready to extend its hand to Jumblatt in the future.
Speaking at a ceremony in liberated prisoner Samir Kintar's hometown of Aabey, southeast of Beirut, Fneish said Lebanon would not have been able to free all Lebanese prisoners in "Israeli" jails had it not of the resistance.
"We should continue with the resistance to liberate the Shibaa Farms and the Kafar Shouba Hills," he added, referring to a border territory that "Israel" still occupied despite its withdrawal from most of Lebanon in May 2000.
Fneish said the agenda of the Lebanese state did not conflict with that of the resistance.
"We have wasted enough time ... we should cooperate to overcome the past, especially after the formation of the national unity Cabinet," he said.
"We will stretch our hand to our national partners with open hearts and minds regardless of unpleasant past experiences," he added.
Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday that only Lebanese national unity can protect the resistance, in reference to Hizbullah."Arms cannot protect arms ... only national unity can protect the resistance," he said.
Jumblatt said that there was no contradiction between the resistance and the Taif Agreement, which ended Lebanon's 15-year Civil War (1975-1990) and introduced major amendments to the Lebanese Constitution of 1926.
"There is no contradiction between the resistance and the Taif Agreement ... there is no contradiction between the resistance and the international tribunal," he said, referring to the UN-sponsored court to try suspects in the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"There is no contradiction between Lebanon and the resistance after gradually agreeing on a defense strategy," he said, adding that protecting the resistance did not conflict with having sound relations and mutual respect between Lebanon and Syria.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan also spoke at the ceremony and said that the new Cabinet's ministerial statement should not avoid "recognizing the legitimacy of the resistance."
Arslan paid tribute to Nasrallah and stressed "the mountains will always back the resistance."
Kintar, who was released on Wednesday after spending almost 30 years in "Israeli" jails, called on all Lebanese "to rally around the resistance."
"Let us all remember Kamal Jumblatt ... Had he been with us, he would have called on his comrades to cut any hand that dares to touch the arms of the resistance," Kintar said.
The late Kamal Jumblatt is the founder of the PSP and the father of Walid Jumblatt.
Kintar said the resistance shall continue even after the liberation of the Shibaa Farms.
"Whoever believes that liberating Shibaa Farms would put an end to the resistance is wrong ... even if we left the "Israelis" alone, they will not leave us," he said.
"Look at the way they treated the people who signed treaties with them ... Look at what they did to former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat," he added, indirectly blaming "Israel" for the Palestinian leader's death in November 2004.
As he arrived at his family house earlier on Thursday, Kintar said he had no regrets over what he did three decades ago.
Kintar was arrested in the northern "Israeli" town of Nahariya in 1978 and was convicted of killing three "Israelis".
"I haven't for even one day regretted what I did," he said. "On the contrary, I remain committed to my political convictions."
Kintar received a hero's welcome at his hometown as many people from the village and neighboring areas attended the rally to meet him.
"We are very happy on this beautiful day, this is a victory for Lebanon and the national resistance," said Yusra Khaddaj, 39, as she stood with her three young daughters on the road leading to Aabey.
"Samir Kintar is the son of all the Lebanese," she added.
One banner along the road leading to Aabey read: "From Palestine to Iraq to Lebanon, the resistance is victorious."
Earlier on Thursday, Kintar visited Hizbullah's senior security official Imad Moghnieh's tomb in Hizbullah's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut before heading to his village in a triumphant convoy.
Moghnieh was killed in a bombing in Syria last February. His death was blamed on "Israel", which denied any responsibility.
