Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech On May 10th, 2022

Translated by Al-Ahed News

Speech of Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah at the electoral festival in the southern suburb of Beirut

10-5-2022

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.

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

God Almighty says in His Glorious Book:

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.} (25)

Allah Almighty has spoken the truth.

I welcome you all to this gathering, this festival, and thank you for this great attendance.

I welcome our people from Beirut, from the second district and from the first district according to the electoral classification of the electoral districts.

I welcome our people – the supporters of the resistance, allies, and friends from the various districts and governorates of Mount Lebanon, from Baabda, Chouf-Aley, Matn, and Jbeil-Keserwan.

I welcome you to this festival in which we want to cooperate, talk, and deliberate about our destiny and the future of our country.

From Beirut, the capital of the resistance and where the first shots in the face of the occupation were fired, the capital of Arabism, and the capital of freedoms. When I say the capital of Arabism, there is no Arabism without Palestine, no Arabism without Jerusalem, and no Arabism with normalization with the enemy.

From the civilized Beirut filled with history and convergence to Mount Lebanon, the lofty and steadfast mountain throughout history, to the eternal cedar mountains that symbolize diversity and unity.

To all our sons, old, young, men, and women, in this festival I thank you. I would like to say a word I did not prepare. Rather it came in the spur of the moment when I saw this sight. I tell you: Your great presence today in this festival as well as what we saw yesterday in the cities of Tyre and Nabatieh in the south, and the large presence we rightly anticipate and expect in the Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel governorates on Friday, God willing, is the biggest message. Let us put the issue of the elections aside. It is the biggest message and the greatest answer to all those who bet during the past years on lies, slanders, accusations, sieges, sanctions, the imposition of difficult living conditions, on the environment of the resistance standing against it. Your presence today is enough to retaliate twofold and silence them.

This is the environment of the resistance. You expected it to turn against the resistance, change its position, or fight with the other camp by impoverishing it, starving it, besieging it, or attempting to isolate, accuse, and oppress it.

The message you are sending today; the message the south sent yesterday; and the message the Bekaa will send on Friday is that these supporters and this environment are loyal to Lebanon, Palestine, Al-Quds, its resistance, its martyrs, its wounded, and its prisoners. It has never been tight-fisted with blood, let alone with steadfastness! I thank you very much.

We must also thank … we will talk calmly today. Yesterday, the brothers told me: When you were talking about the south, you were a little bit potent. I told them: No, by God, when you talk about the resistance, it is natural for you to speak potently because the heat of the resistance imposes itself. Secondly: It is true that I am delivering my speech from Dahiyeh and addressing the south, yet I feel that I must raise my voice so that they can hear me, to lighten the atmosphere for you. Tomorrow, when I address the Bekaa, I will raise my voice, but here, you are near me, so we will speak calmly, God willing, close to each other.

We must also thank the Lebanese residing abroad for their participation and their turnout at the polling stations, regardless of who they voted for and how they voted. This turnout and presence have national and political values.

I told you and the Lebanese that abroad, in most countries, except Syria and Iran and maybe Iraq, it is difficult for Hezbollah at the very least – our brothers in the Amal movement perhaps have a certain margin – to form lists. It is difficult for us to have representatives at the ballot boxes. It's not possible for our candidates to visit the Lebanese communities abroad because of the injustice inflicted on us by accusing us of terrorism. This is the price the resistance in Lebanon has to pay. Hence, for many Lebanese in many of these countries, including those where there was an atmosphere of threat and intimidation, especially in some Gulf countries, to take part and vote for the resistance, of course, we appreciate, revere, and respect what they did, and I also thank them very much.

The large participation of the Lebanese abroad at the polling booths also is a message of hope because you know that in Lebanon, and this will become clear later on May 15, there are some media outlets, some politicians, some writers, and some social media sites that are always trying to spread an atmosphere of despair and that the Lebanese are desperate, frustrated, etc. Attendance and participation, in the end, express hope. It is performing a political and national job, contributing to building the country, and correcting the situation regardless of the political choices in the ballot boxes. In any case, we’ll talk later about what happened in some countries, including pressure and intimidation.

Brothers and sisters, yesterday I addressed the south and talked enough about the resistance. At the end of the speech, I may return and make a quick reference to it. But what I want to tell you now is that a while ago, the brothers who are following the “Israeli” maneuvers informed me of a report stating that the “Israeli” prime minister is participating or supervising the “Israeli” exercises. What I am interested in is a sentence that the “Israeli” premiere said during the drills. He said: ‘We are not looking for a confrontation with anyone.’

It is no secret that in the past few days after the Quds Day speech, which I was clear in, and yesterday also in the speech to the south, when I announced at seven o'clock the mobilization of the resistance’s forces and cadres in Lebanon – of course depending on the regions. A few days after the Quds Day speech, I was conveyed a message through some diplomatic channels, i.e., an answer to the Quds Day speech, saying: ‘The “Israelis” confirm that they do not want to engage in any action against Lebanon.’ Of course, I want to make two points.

The first point: We do not trust the enemy, its messages sent through diplomatic channels, or the statements of the head of the enemy’s government. Therefore, our alertness and readiness will remain active and effective with fully open eyes until the end of the “Israeli” maneuvers, and this is what I think our brothers in the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip will do.

The second point: This overt or implicit message is the result of the strength of the resistance, the result of the presence of the resistance, and due to the fact that the enemy knows that the words said on Quds Day or yesterday are supported by men, capabilities, the public, an incubating environment, and a strong and real resistance. That is why it is behaving. Is it standing on one and a half legs or two? This is not important. The important thing now is that no one starts a fight. I repeat and say: We will not allow any aggression or transgression against Lebanon, for whatever reason.

This was an addition to yesterday's topic – the resistance. Today, we will talk about another topic because yesterday I said that I wanted to divide topics according to the three festivals.

I would like to tackle the issue of the state, building the state, contributing to building the state, the economic and living situation, the programs, the internal situation, and what we should look at.

Of course, before I enter into this subject, you and I listened together to the speech of His Excellency Mr. Nabih Berri, a while ago. I consider that everything that His Excellency said expresses the directions, contents, and ideas of this duo that stands strong and solidly and continues the path together. I will return to some points during the address.

Regarding the state, we believe – we agreed and believed as did our elders led by Imam Musa al-Sadr – that Lebanon is a final homeland for all its sons within its current known borders, and this is a natural matter because the alternative to the state and order is chaos, idleness, loss, lawlessness, etc. You all know. Now, I am emphasizing these meanings not only for political goals, but also for cultural goals.

This is our culture. The Commander of the Faithful (PBUH) used to say that people must have a righteous or an immoral emir. The emir is an authority. In any society or country, there must be an authority that manages its affairs. No one can be a substitute for the state. I always emphasize and repeat. Now, we are addressing the people of Beirut and Mount Lebanon and through them all the people of Lebanon. I want to stress that we do not present ourselves as a state next to the state or a party as an alternative to the state. We are not convinced of that; we are not capable of that; and we have no interest in being like that.

Neither we nor others can do so. Any current, party, movement, organization, or political group in Lebanon, no matter how great their support base is and its increased capabilities are, cannot be a substitute for the state – not in security, economy, financial situations, livelihood, education, health, or any of these matters. Even on the issue of resistance, we do not present ourselves as an alternative to the state. We talk about an army, the people, and the resistance. We are talking about a resistance that is complementary to the state if the state fulfilled its duty to protect and liberate.

Hence, this is an issue that should be clear because this has always been a subject that caused problem and accusations. We believe in this, and we contribute to the realization of this matter in Lebanon so that we do not talk about theories in Lebanon. There is a state, praise be to God. We have the President of the Republic, may God prolong his life. We have a government, a parliament, and institutions. The Lebanese have an army, security services, ministries, and institutions. They also have an excess in institutions. The state exists. We have a constitution. We have many laws. Hence, we are not starting from scratch. We are not raising, as is happening in some Arab countries or as it happened in the past years, or talking about overthrowing the regime, establishing a new political system, overthrowing the state, or the establishment and building of a new state. No!

We are saying that this political system exists; this state exists; and this constitution exists – the constitution derived from the Taif Agreement. There are laws and institutions. Yes, there is a set of problems in this country, this structure, these institutions, and this system that sometimes hinder its ability to work and produce and to be at the level of the aspirations of the Lebanese and their expectations. It is necessary to work to address these problems and shortcomings and to remedy these flaws through reform.

Therefore, the natural realistic project of any political movement in Lebanon must be a reform project of the system and the state, even if some want to take the path of change – but within this framework. Why? Because Lebanon, brothers and sisters, is a special country. Lebanon is a country made up of a group of sects. There is no majority and minority. It is made up of a group of minorities.

When we look at the well-known borders and set our eyes on the 10,452 km2 and look at the Lebanese, it turns out that the Lebanese are a group of minorities. Let us describe things as they really are. It is a society and a country with a sectarian structure. It has been since it was founded and when the other parts joined it to form Greater Lebanon a country that is worried. Let us not give compliments to each other, we who are in these circles that belong to all sects. It is a worried country. They often talk about deprivation, injustice, anxiety, and fear of the future. There is caution and conservatism in inter-relations.  It is a country of worry. That is why everyone is looking for guarantees – for internal guarantees, and, unfortunately, even external guarantees. This has been happening throughout the one hundred year and more of the history of Greater Lebanon.

Hence, we must admit that the situation of the country is delicate and sensitive. When you approach the issues, you cannot approach them with the same revolutionary and enthusiastic spirit that exists in other countries. We must acknowledge this peculiarity. Over the past decades, many have tried to make dramatic changes in Lebanon, plunging the country into civil wars. Lebanon cannot withstand a new civil war, even if it was for the purpose of reforming the political system, changing the political system, or imposing new equations in the structure of the state. The matter of a civil war should be a red and forbidden line. The Lebanese should view the act of pushing towards a civil war as an act of treason.

Hence, we are facing a delicate situation. We have a sectarian system. This is what it is now. If a time comes when the Lebanese accept to abolish political sectarianism, we are at the forefront. But the current reality, and in the foreseeable and medium future, it is clear that we are living under this sectarian system. Within this sectarian system, there are many gaps, problems, and flaws. Under the umbrella of the Taif [Agreement] and within the framework of the Taif [Agreement], we can work to address them. We must work to address them, and we must act on this basis.

This is our approach to the issue of the state. Therefore, we should all aspire for a just, capable, and adept state. This is what we talked about in our electoral programs and our political document that I read in 2009 – a just and capable state. When I talk about a just state, I am not talking about justice in the philosophical sense or in the platonic sense. We are not talking about slogans that cannot be achieved. We always have in our mind the image and qualifications of a just state. Therefore, we must work to achieve these qualifications. I will give you examples so we do not seem to be speaking about slogans or someone to ask, ‘Sayyed, where is the just state? Where are we and where is the just sate?’ No, there are many things that can be achieved. Justice in the state can be achieved.

The verse that I read at the beginning of the speech, God Almighty says: {We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance.} Why? So {that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice.}

One of the main goals of the heavenly messages, the prophets of heaven, and the heavenly books is for people to do justice and to lead their lives in justice if they can, that their whole life be just. Excellent! Otherwise, let them work to the highest possible level of justice. Let me give an example of a just state that we aspire for. We have been working on this during all the past years. You and we will work to achieve this in the coming years. I will just mention examples. Otherwise, talking about a just and capable state will take a long time. The first example is the parliament, which is the mother of institutions. It elects the president of the republic, names the prime minister, gives a vote of confidence to the government, approves laws, and so on.

The electoral law is the key. The electoral law is based on the majoritarian system, especially in a sectarian country like Lebanon. The majoritarian system is unfair and unjust. The proportional representation system, which is the current law, is fairer. Of course, we may need amendments to the current law to make it completely fair. Now, especially in these districts, you feel that elections based on the proportional representation  system allows you to appoint representatives to represent you. Meanwhile, elections based on the majoritarian system, one vote can make or break a group of people for the coming four years.

That is why we’ve been advocating for the proportional representation law since 1992, for many years. In the end, our endeavor and that of the other political forces was achieved. Let me tell you; it was a very difficult process. This was thanks to the care of God Almighty. But this is a picture of a just state. A just state is a state that presents an electoral law in which all Lebanese components within the special structure feel that they are able to bring their representatives to Parliament. This is a just state. But with the majoritarian system, there is no just state.

Another example regarding the electoral law is [voting] at the age of 18 instead of 21, which is currently in force. Today, the Lebanese are going to vote, and there is an entire generation that is forbidden from voting. They are young men and women at the age of 18, 19, 20, and a few months under 21. These are the real young people of Lebanon; they are forbidden to vote. Why? Because there are political forces that do not want to. There are narrow accounts; there are narrow and limited accounts. This is injustice. This is a great injustice to the young generation. If the people belonging to this generation are working and paying taxes and have responsibilities, it is their natural right to vote for they are performing national duties and are deprived of the most important national right which is voting.

This is injustice. This matter requires a struggle, as they say. The youth generation must fight for this. The younger generation belonging to political forces must demand their leaders who are refusing. We have had a long experience regarding this issue, and we talk with the political forces in closed sessions. Everyone is on agreement. But when it comes to voting in parliament, it fails. This matter must be addressed.  Hence, young people aged 18, 19, 20 and before 21 must be given the right to vote. This is fair. This is a just law that is part of the identity and truth of a just state.

A just state means a state that cares about its people, their lives, their hunger, their poverty, their needs, their unemployment, their drinking water, their health, their education. This is a just state. A just state is one that balances the development of all its regions. It does not distinguish between one area or another, not for sectarian reasons, partisan reasons, factional reasons, or reasons related to a certain leader. State funds belong to all the people and must reach all the people through development projects. A just state is one of balanced development that we have been demanding and will continue to work for.

It is a state that takes care of those who are unable to work, the elderly – here comes the old-age benefits – the orphans – providing support for institutions that care for orphans – patients with chronic diseases. That is why we always said that subsidies on medicine that reach the poor and needy, especially in the case of long and chronic diseases, must not be lifted.

This is a just country. A just state does not exhaust its citizens with taxes. There are people in Lebanon who do not even know about the economy and the economic project. There is no such thing as development. There are only fees, taxes, and VATs that are quickly raised. This is not a just state. During the past years, we have been standing in the face of taxes imposed on the poor. We have been standing in the face of taxes on people's basic needs, and we will remain doing so.

The just taxation law is the one that adopts progressive taxation. This is a just law! But for people to pay taxes equally, then this is an unjust law. Hence, this is a just state.

We are not talking platonically. These are the qualities of a just state that we must strive for. There must be a fair system of wages. A state must fulfill a reasonable right of public education and put secondary schools and public education in its list of priorities. The Lebanese University which is the university of the poor must be its priority. It must not neglect it. It must be a state that provides the minimum acceptable level of health care. When our brothers took over the Ministry of Health, we exerted great efforts, even during the corona pandemic when we were faced with serious shortages. We wanted the people to see the public health sector as a place of hope, trust, dependence, and one that has a strong and effective presence among the people. A just and capable state is one that is able to protect its sovereignty, lands, airspace, waters, and resources from any aggression, occupation, domination, or derogation.

This capable country must have a strong army and strong security services and must be able to confront and defend, not place the burdens of liberation and protection on its people. We hope that the day will come when the state in Lebanon becomes capable and has a strong army, a strong air force, a strong navy. Can you imagine that the navy in Lebanon does not have the ability to reach depths of 300 meters or 400 meters to retrieve the bodies of the victims of the death boat in Tripoli.

We hope that one day we will have a strong country and a strong army that has a strong air force, a strong missile capacity, and a strong air defense capacity to bear the responsibility of defense and protection. People will thus dispense of these burdens.

A just and capable state is one that ensures security for all the Lebanese, where every Lebanese citizen feels safe and secure in his village, house, field, factory, market, shop, school, and university. Security is the responsibility of the state, brothers and sisters. It should provide it without distinguishing between the areas, even if there are difficulties in one area or another. These are examples of a just and capable state that we have been working to achieve and we will continue to work on to achieve it. I invite you to work on achieving it during the coming years without despair and despite all the difficulties. If we cooperate, can we reach this result? Yes, we can reach this result.

Brothers and sisters, on the other hand, the issue of a just and capable state is everyone’s responsibility. No party, movement, current, organization, or political group in Lebanon can claim to be able to build a just and capable state on their own. They are not being honest with people. If I tell you now and you often believe me – God willing you will always believe me – then I honestly tell you. If I tell you that Hezbollah alone is capable of building a just and capable state, I am not being honest with you.

This is unrealistic; no one can claim that because of Lebanon’s structure. Transforming the state into the best formula in which it is a just and capable state requires the cooperation of all –political forces, parties, currents, leaders. This is a country based on partnership and this is what we call for – partnership, non-cancellation, and non-exclusion.

Everybody should be proportionally represented in parliament. The majoritarian law did not produce natural sizes; some people took over the rights of others. The proportional [representation] law opens is an opportunity for everyone to be proportionally represented. We do not want to cancel anyone as some claim.

There are natural dimensions that must express themselves in the elections through the proportional law. In the government, we are for partnership. We are not for the rule of a majority or a minority. We cannot talk about a majority and a minority in Lebanon since it is based on a sectarian system. Yes, this can be applied in a non-sectarian democratic system and in the absence of sensitivities and feelings of injustice and fear. Then, talk about the majority and the minority is true, logical, and natural.

However, in a sectarian system like the Lebanese one, talk about a majority and a minority is unrealistic and plunges Lebanon into crises. This was our logic from the beginning, in 2005, 2009, and 2018. We said that when we and our allies were not the majority. We said that when we became the majority in 2018 and we did not form a majority government from the current majority. Rather, we formed a government headed by the head of the Future Movement and the participation of the rest of the political forces in Lebanon. They were present in the first government.

Yes, when some people want to stay away and not take responsibility, this is their business. But excluding and eliminating others under the pretext of a majority and a minority will take Lebanon into adventures. Therefore, I must stress that we are advocates of national partnership in building a just and capable state, national partnership, and cooperation in order to get Lebanon out of its crises. As for the talk about a majority and a minority under a sectarian system may lead at some point to the formation of a majority made up of some sects and excluding and isolating others. Can Lebanon bear such political behavior? Absolutely not!

An Islamic majority may be formed, for example, with some Christian representatives. Is it right for these people to come and say we are a majority and exclude the overwhelming majority of Christians then say a majority and a minority! Or something like this be repeated with Sunnis, Shiites, Druze, etc.

This is the structure of Lebanon and this Lebanese system! Therefore, what is correct is partnership and insistence on partnership. This, of course, requires spirituality, wisdom, breadth of mind, endurance, patience, humility, devotion to the country and the country’s causes, and relinquishing some personal, partisan, and sectarian aspirations. This is what the logic of partnership requires. Lebanon, brothers and sisters, cannot tolerate a leading sect, no matter how powerful this sect is or if it has excess power. Lebanon, brothers and sisters, with its diverse composition, cannot tolerate a leading party, a leading current, or a leading movement, no matter how popular and strong it is. You as a Lebanese party could become a regional power, but in Lebanon, you remain a local Lebanese party that is part of this structure in the country that needs cooperation, partnership, contribution, and understanding between the Lebanese.

In this spirit, we look at the next four years and say, yes, we all want to be together to make the existing state under the existing constitution a just and capable state now more than ever – a state that fulfills the aspirations, expectations, and hopes of the Lebanese people in all its affairs and aspirations.

This should be our goal. This is the new thing that I wanted to say today regarding these elections. We in Hezbollah, in particular, feel that we have also become more responsible than ever before. There were circumstances that forced us to take part in the government in 2005. Everyone knows that from 1992 until 2005 we did not participate in successive governments. Rather, we had a problem with the economic, financial, and monetary policies of these successive governments. This is well-known in the country, and we were accused as a result of our stance regarding these policies. Today, Lebanon is paying the price, and we bear the responsibility, knowing that we were among the staunch opponents of them policies, of course under a political and security ceiling. From 1992 until 2005, we were not part of any government and did not ask to be part of the government. No one also asked us to participate in the government; they were happy that we were busy with the resistance and so on.

Hence, when we joined the government, the motivation was protecting the resistance from being stabbed by anyone in the back. I want to correct something I already corrected in the blessed month of Ramadan, but it is appropriate to repeat it because some said that it is strange that these people are saying that the resistance is protecting the country while they ask the state to protect it. Not at all.

Since 1982, we have not asked the state to protect the resistance, and today, we are not asking it to protect the resistance. All we ask is that no one in the state stabs the resistance in back, conspire against it, and collude against it. I am not accusing anyone. Read all the WikiLeaks reports about Lebanese political leaders and the American embassy inside and outside the embassy. Review that stage. I do not want to discuss this now.

Hence, we took part [in the government] with this background, and we remained present and insisted. I tell you; we will remain insistent on being present in any government, regardless of its composition, nature, and program in order to protect the resistance’s back. But when we became part of the government, we had new responsibilities. Now, Hezbollah cannot say that I am not concerned with the electricity plan, the water plan, the general budget, a recovery plan, or the depositors’ money. No, this means that we are determined to take part strongly, effectively, seriously, with greater responsibility than any future stage.

We took part a while ago, but now we are determined to take part strongly, effectively, seriously, and with greater responsibility than any future stage. Therefore, yes, we say that whether we liked it or not, circumstances forced us to become, for one reason or another, part of the system and the state. When we become part of the system and the state, we must assume our responsibilities with strength and efficiency.

But of course, no one should set unrealistic expectations. Brothers and sisters, we are in election days where promises are made. I do not make promises that we are unable to fulfill. No one should expect that since Hezbollah said it was part of the state and the system that things will be resolved in the country. It is not up to Hezbollah or the seriousness of Hezbollah. Yes, it is part of it. An electricity plan does not work if all the people do not cooperate. A recovery plan does not work if all or the majority of the people do not cooperate. It is not possible to fight corruption if most of the political forces did not cooperate. It is not possible. Hence, no one should have incorrect expectations that do not go with the country's composition. We do not have the power or the ability. A day may come when we may do wonders in the fight against “Israel”. But within the composition of Lebanon’s sectarian political system, which is composed of Lebanese forces, and the complex structure, we must be realistic. We must make strenuous efforts, strive day and night, follow, work hard, and hold the other political forces responsible – under the table and above it, behind the scenes and in public. This is the meaning of the new stage we are heading toward.

Why did I pause at this point? Because I read well, and many of those who write on social media and newspapers sometimes write ideas – of course, we respect any opinion – that are unrealistic – why has Hezbollah not yet built a state in Lebanon? Can I build a state in Lebanon? Who told you that? We made no such claims. You are making us something we ae not. Lebanon's makeup needs something else. Likewise, when we talk about a just and capable state, as well as some files which I will refer to. We will not be able to address them alone. That is why there is a need for alliances, friends, and coalitions of different temperaments. Here, I tell you, especially in these constituencies in which we are allied with each other, an electoral alliance, and we hope it will be a political alliance.

In the end, when people come to terms with each other and ally themselves with each other, it is not correct for anyone, neither the public nor the leadership, to think that, for example, Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement or Hezbollah and the Amal Movement or Hezbollah and any of the national parties among our friends and allies have become one party or one organization, speak one language, carry one culture, and have one positions just because we are allies. This is inaccurate. Basically, this is no longer called an alliance, but rather we have become one party.

When we talk about an electoral or political alliance, a joint action, we must pay close attention that there will still be differences and disagreements. It is not true that every disagreement regarding a certain matter, small or big, threatens our alliances and understandings. Otherwise, this means that we are not capable or fit to build a homeland and preserve it. If we disagree, attack each other, and break up our alliances over every detail, this means that we will not reach a result with regard to the country because no one alone can achieve the national goal. Personal, partisan, sectarian, and factional goals may be achieved, but it cannot achieve what this people aspires for the country.

This requires that I quickly go through some of the files with the time remaining. There is no doubt that the first title, which should be an absolute priority, and was the focus of the people in the opinion polls conducted in the districts is the economic and living concern. This is the truth.

The economic, living, and financial situation and the magnitude of the predicaments we have reached in Lebanon need a plan. An economic recovery plan has been proposed. It must be discussed sincerely, honestly, seriously, without populism, and without turning Lebanon into a pawn. When it is presented again in the government or parliament, we will discuss this matter. Those you elect must be loyal to your interests and to your economic and living conditions when they discuss this plan. Here, I should mention a few things quickly:

This is regarding the recovery plan or the government’s policy. The first point is a reminder of the policy of heading east and west. If the state insists on not opening its doors to eastern countries and eastern companies out of consideration for America, this means that our economic, financial, and living situations will not progress; we will remain where we are – America besieging Lebanon and us besieging our country in fear of America. We are closing the doors to all countries in the world that want to invest in Lebanon. We are not saying leave the West and go East. We are saying go West and East. open the door for everyone who wants to come and invest in Lebanon and help Lebanon overcome this crisis.

I would like to emphasize what I said yesterday, and it was also mentioned – I said I will return to this point – in the speech of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri a while ago. Yesterday, I talked about this matter but ran out of time. I will elaborate on it.

Today, if Lebanon wanted money, it has to go to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF says it will give you 3 billion, 4 billion over three, four years, and it has conditions. Those funds do not solve the problem in the country. Lebanon is in debt. God knows how much it is. Some say 80 billion, 90 billion, 100 billion dollars in debt. Even if there were countries that want to help, a billion dollars? Two billion dollars? So, far we haven't seen anything. If a conference were to be held in support of Lebanon, like the one that was held in France, it would offer debts, loans, mostly debts owed by Lebanon, 11 billion, 12 billion. Lebanon's problem is much bigger than that, so where do we go? Oh, brother. We have a treasure here in the sea. Let me make things much simpler. The Lebanese people are in debt, hungry, oppressed, displaced, unemployed. There are high prices, while the price of the national currency is low. On the other hand, the treasure is near them; it is in the sea. If Lebanon extracts its treasure, according to some experts, I have heard around 200 billion dollars, 300 billion dollars. My brother, let us say they are exaggerating. Let us say tens of billions of dollars, not hundreds of billions of dollars. There is a treasure next to us, especially in the water in the south. Well, why don't we go and find our treasure. Who do we fear? America? What is America doing? What more can America do? A siege? Sanctions? A huge help in smuggling money out of Lebanon? I will return to this point later. Do you think that the Americans were not aware of the billions of dollars that were smuggled into Lebanon? or that they did not help, contribute, and covered up? All of the movements of the dollar in the banks in Lebanon and between Lebanon and abroad, are under the watchful eyes of the Americans. Well, what will the Americans do? Push “Israel” to launch the July war against us! “Israel” will launch a war against us again! This is over. What are you afraid of? “Israel”! This is “Israel”. Why? They tell you because of the border demarcation.  Apart from the border demarcation, let me ask you a question. Yesterday, there was no time for me to ask these questions. Why isn’t “Israel” waiting for the demarcation of the border? Is it waiting for the demarcation of the border? No. Is it or is it not working within Line 29  now? Yes, Karish field, isn't it within the disputed area? Yes. Why is “Israel” drilling in the disputed area and is not afraid of anyone, while Lebanon, even in the area it considers its territorial waters, is not drilling? Why? Let me tell you more than that.

You have the right to work in the area that you think is the waters of Lebanon and your right to work even in the disputed area, your right, as the enemy works in the disputed area and digs, and tomorrow he is coming to complete the drilling and start extracting oil and gas while we are sitting and waiting for the American negotiator and I do not know who. You have the right to drill in the area that you think is the waters of Lebanon. You even have the right to drill in the disputed area. This is your right the same way the enemy is drilling in the disputed area. Tomorrow, it will continue drilling and begin extracting oil and gas, while we are sitting and waiting for the American negotiator and I do not know who.

A little while ago, the Parliament Speaker said ten years of negotiations and what did we achieve? The framework for negotiations, that is, it took us ten years to set a framework for negotiations. How many years will it take us to begin the negotiations? I’m simplifying matters and clarifying things for the Lebanese people to know.

Lebanon is not a poor country or a bankrupt country. But  there are people in Lebanon who are rushing; they immediately start talking about selling state property, state assets. These people are conspiring against the state; they do not want a state in Lebanon. Lebanon is not a bankrupt country nor a poor one. Politicians should not turn it into a servile country that begs.

This is what is happening today. Imagine, a minister was forced to resign because he said something before  becoming a minister. A country of freedoms, a country of sovereignty, a country of national dignity, a country of majestic mountains forces its minister to resign. Why? Because it threatens the Lebanese in the Gulf countries, and they will cut off the money from us.

No one is allowed to say anything because we want aid.  No one is allowed to say anything because we want loans. You are the ones changing the identity of Lebanon. The city of Beirut has always been a refuge for all the dissidents in the Arab world, all the free people in the Arab world, and all the people of other opinion in the Arab world, and you are turning it into a silenced city. Why? Because we have a feeling of poverty; because we want to be poor; and because we want to beg!

We are a rich country, and this treasure is found in the sea. Let the companies come and start digging. The data says that there is a huge oil and gas wealth located in the squares opposite southern Lebanon. Go ahead. There are companies ready to come. No one should say that no one is ready. Open the door, and they will come. But we must have the courage to commit. I tell you, let's do that, and the enemy will not dare to do anything because it needs oil and gas. It is also the one plundering the right of the Palestinian people. This gas and oil belong to the Palestinian people, and they are looting it. If they want to prevent us – as I said yesterday – we are able to prevent them. We are able to prevent them.

Now, some people may say that Sayyed wants to start a war. Take this ship that they said has sailed and is coming to Karish. If we make a decision tomorrow – my brother, we don't want to bomb it – to launch drones to fly over it and warn it, how will these companies think? How will they continue? We are able to prevent the enemy, and I repeat this today. Lebanon is also rich and strong. Someone has treasure but is afraid to reach out to get it because he is weak. We have a treasure, and we are strong. Why should we remain poor? Why should we remain in need? Why should we become beggars? Why should we sit on the doorstep of the IMF, which sometimes imposes humiliating conditions on us? Why? This, in our opinion, is an essential part of addressing the economic and financial situation.

The Depositors:

Another point is the file of the depositors. Because there is a great number of depositors, they all feel this tragedy and this pain. But it may not have been expressed a lot. This is truly a tragic file. A true tragedy for hundreds of thousands of Lebanese. Imagine, for example, state employees as well as military and security personnel who retired and deposited their retirement money in the banks, the expatriates who were absent from the country for 20 and 30 years and collected money and put them in the banks, or the people who worked in Lebanon and invested in Lebanon and put their money in the banks were not able to withdraw their money.

This is a great tragedy, one of the greatest tragedies of contemporary Lebanon. Of course, there are people who were not affected by it because they had knowledge and were part of the conspiracy. They took instructions and were given facilities and took out their money. The black room, which has been managing the situation for three years in the American embassy, instructed all its friends and people to withdraw their money. As for the rest of the people, they were oppressed and their tragedy is a great one.

This is today's predicament. This must be addressed. This issue has been subject to many debates – we hear about the recovery plan and the distribution of losses. We must be clear, brothers and sisters, so we do not fall into debates. There are two levels. The first is preserving the rights of depositors – this is their right. Whether they recover the money or not is another research. But you must protect their right. Why? Because there are people in the country who are working to terminate this right, cancel 10% of it, 50% of it, discard it.

First, the obligation to preserve the rights of depositors. The Loyalty bloc submitted a law, a law proposal. The other blocs are not required to sign with the Loyalty bloc. They can present the same proposal of the law and modify some phrases. But what is important is the end result – the proposal of a law that safeguards the rights of the depositors, respect them and consider them sacred rights that may not be violated in any plan be it a recovery plan or a governmental one or a new law. That’s it. By doing so, we’d be preserving their rights. However, delivering speeches on hundreds of podiums is empty talk. What preserves the rights of the depositors is the deputies and those who will become representatives sign and not deliver speeches in press conferences. We must all sign and pass it as a law in the parliament so that no one in the parliament or in the government, the minister of finance, the governor of the central bank of Lebanon, or even the banks can toy with the rights of the depositors.

This has to happen. Otherwise, until now, I tell the depositors that words are words, speeches are speeches, and promises are promises. Unless this law is issued by the parliament, the rights are in danger. Hence, the first stage is to fortify the rights.

Second, is the recovery of funds. The depositors must be able to withdraw their money. This requires a program, laws, and a government plan. We certainly do not accept that the depositors bear any losses – here, I am not speaking politically, I am speaking according to religious jurisprudence and religion. These people deposited their money with these banks. If the banks erred and failed in the management, and invested in the wrong ways, what is the fault of the depositors?

It is not permissible religiously, legally, humanly, and morally to hold the depositors any responsibility. It is a great injustice to anyone who accepts to hold the depositors responsible. Where does the responsibility fall on? Distributing the losses is an open discussion. Of course, the primary party that is responsible are the Lebanese banks.

I would like to remind you that for thirty years the banks took money from depositors and gave the state debts and took high interest on them. The banks racked up great wealth, huge sums of money, and great profits through depositors’ money. The first to bear the responsibility for the relationship that existed and the financial policies that were followed are the banks. But this is a discussion is included in the distribution of losses, which we will be talking about later. This is a file.

The anti-corruption file: Four years ago, we announced this file. Indeed, our brothers started, and a file was formed in Hezbollah. After a month, two months, a year, and two years later, some started demanding results, knowing that when I announced this file, I said that this is a difficult and complex file. This file needs a long time. This is a more difficult file than confronting and resisting “Israel”. I was clear about the extent of the expectations I presented to the people.

But there are hasty people who want to form whatever it is. What has been accomplished at the level of this file was great and important in view of the Lebanese complexities, especially the circumstances it has been through in the past few years. Important files tackled billions of dollars and senior officials. These files were referred to the judiciary, and we had the courage to refer these files to the judiciary. But we have a stumbling judiciary in Lebanon, which must be addressed.

I forgot to mention this when I was talking about the just state. A just state means an impartial judiciary. It means a just law and honest, efficient, courageous, and non-politicized judges. However, we must continue to work on this matter. No one should feel that this file has reached a dead end and fighting corruption in Lebanon cannot take place. No, it is possible to fight corruption, and we must continue to work with determination and will. We may not achieve it in a year, two, three, four, or five, but we will achieve it. This is similar to resistance – after many years, we achieved it – as well as the proportional representation law – following many years, we achieved it. Similarly, after many years, we’ve achieved some files. Hence, this matter must continue. The electricity file must be given priority in the coming months and years, in the coming months, by the representatives and the new government.

The plan must be implemented and supported by all political forces, and all obstacles must be removed. At the same time, we must search for alternative steps and ideas, as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri suggested a while ago. Of course, I want to support and applaud the position he announced regarding the excavation in the blocks in southern Lebanon, excellent. Let us give it a month. Let us give the negotiations an additional month and see whether they will reach a result or not. If they do not, let us opt for excavation, and let “Israel” do what it will. Hence, let us leave talking about the electricity file and other files when we address our people in the Beqaa.

Brothers and sisters, in light of what I presented so far, today and yesterday, and in light of what we heard from others in speeches and festivals, people have choices. You, the Lebanese voters in all the districts, in the districts of Beirut, Mount Lebanon, the South, the Bekaa, the North, and Akkar, have clear choices. There are those who are calling for partnership, cooperation, and understanding, as well as giving priority to national consensus and national understanding. Meanwhile, there are those who are calling for abolition and exclusion. You must choose, between this option and that.

For example, in the past few days some people reached a point where they said that they not only want Hezbollah’s weapons, but they want to get rid of Hezbollah, the Free Patriotic Movement, and their allies. Of course, they did not dare to say the Amal Movement; we are allies; we are a duo. When they want to attack, they attack Hezbollah and the duo. But they don't dare attack the Amal Movement. This does not mean that we want them to attack the Amal Movement. No, the Amal movement is our shield, and we are their shield. There is no problem with the issue. They reached a point where they said they wanted to get rid of Hezbollah, the Free Patriotic Movement, and Hezbollah’s allies.

Their language and logic – “we want to get rid of and finish.” Of course, they are not able to do that. If they could, they would have done it a long time ago; they would have entered people’s homes, slaughtered them, killed them, blew them up, and assassinated them. Their past testifies to that. They cannot. This is one kind of logic, and there is another kind that calls for partnership, cooperation, and agreement, and we do not want a majority or a minority government.

You, the Lebanese, especially here in the Baabda district, especially between Chiyah and Ain al-Remmaneh, Dahiyeh, and Hadath must choose. O Lebanese, you have two choices and two sides to choose from: those who call for civil peace and adhere to civil peace, sacrifice for civil peace, being killed on the roads of Tayouneh, carry their martyrs and wounded, and insist on civil peace, even though they are able to exact revenge, destroy, and bomb. The other team offers its services to the world, to Al-Sabhan and Feltman. Anyway, it offers its services to everyone outside, to tell them that we are ready to wage a civil war in Lebanon. They practice this; they fire at and kill. The strange thing is that those calling for the disarmament are the ones who have weapons and are using them; they kill in broad daylight. You must choose between the ones who are keen on civil peace – from a position of sincerity, honesty, love, and coexistence, not from a position of weakness and fear and not from a position of cowardice – and those who are always ready to take the country to explosiveness, adventure, and civil war in order to prove themselves and their leadership to others abroad.

You have two choices: someone who employs their foreign relations, meaning our team, our coalition, our alliances, and our lists. We employ our foreign relations, we take advantage of our political, diplomatic, financial, and other relations in order to bring strength to Lebanon, so that Lebanon will be strong. We employ rightly. We truly thank those countries, the Islamic Republic, Syria, and the rest of our friends, including Iraq and other countries. We employ these relations without becoming tools or agents. We are not tools; we are not agents; we are not chess pieces. I tell you, this one writes articles and it is true.

The Islamic Republic does not interfere in Lebanon. Have you seen which ambassadors are working on the elections? Have you seen them tour from one area to another? Was there any Iranians? The Iranian ambassador, an Iranian employee, an Iranian official? Iran does not interfere in the elections or in the internal politics. We are the ones who make the decision. When one day I said we are masters at the Wali al-Faqih, we are partners with Iran when we talk about the region. We are partners. It respects us as partners. Those who use their relations to make Lebanon strong; they bring diesel, money, and weapons. Iran is telling you and offering on a daily basis that we are ready to build tunnels, bridges, power plants. We do not want anything from you. Then, there are those who money from abroad and do not spend it on people. Otherwise, where did the 20 billion from Saudi Arabia and the 10 billion from the Americans go? A total of 30 billion US dollars, where is it?

You have the choice between a party whose concern and worry is Lebanon and a party whose worry and concern is to use Lebanon to be please America, the West, and other countries in the world. You have a choice between those who bear the responsibility and stay responsible despite the pressure over the past three years – you know who I mean. I don’t want to go into names – and those who run away from responsibility, resign, and absolve. They say that its none of their business. Then, they become the opposition and stand with the revolution and revolutionaries and oppressed. Brothers, I do not want to go into names, but those who review history and understand it will find that there are political parties today that are taking part in the elections and have presented themselves as the opposition. They have been in power since the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000, and 2010.

Of course, there are those who entered and others who left. But there are political parties that have been in power since the 1950s. They’ve said that they want to bring about change in the country, fight injustice in the country, and bear the responsibility for whom?! For those who recently came to these calamities to help address them. You have two choices. This is a model. Yesterday, they were in a position of responsibility and a partner in everything that this state that they call the system did. Overnight, they come out as honorable people who bear no responsibility, innocent, pure, clean, the revolutionaries, and the savior. You must choose between the honest who bears the responsibility even if it is at their expense, and the deceitful hypocrite who deceived you for many years and will deceive you in the future.

You, brothers and sisters, all Lebanese, have a choice between two, between the real sovereigns who want a strong and impregnable Lebanon, through the resistance, their support for the resistance, and their acceptance of the resistance within the framework of a national defense strategy and the fake sovereigns who want to strip the real Lebanese strength and turn Lebanon again into a weak country subject to “Israeli” conditions, ambitions, threats, and aggression. You must choose.

When we strip Lebanon of this strength, this treasure will remain in the sea. Rather, “Israel” will plunder it. We, the hungry, the oppressed, and the deprived, look forward fervently. You must choose between those who really want a strong, free, and independent Lebanon that is a master not only in Lebanon but also in the region and can change equations and those who want it as a lean and weak country lounging at the doors of embassies and tents. This is the question you will be asked on May 15, and all the Lebanese must answer it.

As for you, the people of the resistance, the environment of the resistance, and the sons of the resistance, our people in Dahiyeh and in all areas, whose homes and livelihood were destroyed, you offered thousands of martyrs and wounded. You endured, persevered, and were patient. We are certain of your answer. I know and I’ve heard your chants. I do not need to call on you; on May 15, I know that your vote will be for the resistance and the allies of the resistance; your vote is for the martyrs, for Imam Musa al-Sadr, for Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi, for Sheikh Ragheb Harb, for martyr Imad Mughniyeh, for martyr Mustafa Badr al-Din, for the martyr Hassan Laqis, and for all the martyrs.

Your vote is for the resistance, Lebanon’s strength, Lebanon’s sovereignty, Lebanon’s integrity, and Lebanon’s pride. Your vote is for all honest allies who are steadfast in positions of responsibility, who are ready to bear injustice in defense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and for the sake of saving Lebanon. This is what we know about you and what we expect from you. On May 15, we will see you, God willing. We will see your men and women at the polling booths. You do not need to vote with blood. Vote with ink because your precious blood was shed in the past, and it is the one that fenced Lebanon through the ages and will fence it forever. May God grant you victory, and may God bless you. See you on May 15.

May God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.