Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem raised the ceiling of his political positions regarding the ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under American auspices, considering that the “Washington Declaration” constitutes an attempt to subjugate Lebanon and impose conditions that are in Israel’s interest, stressing that the resistance will not give up its weapons and will not grant any commitment to stop responding to Israeli attacks as long as the aggression continues.
In his speech on the anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini, Qassem recalled the path of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, praising his role in launching the Islamic Revolution and what he described as the project of independence and confrontation of Western hegemony, considering that Iran has turned into a model of steadfastness despite the wars, sanctions, and international pressures it has been exposed to since the victory of the revolution in 1979.
He stressed that the resistance in Lebanon was inspired by Imam Khomeini’s approach to confronting Israel, noting that Iran’s support for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance constituted one of the most prominent headlines of its foreign policy over the past decades.
Qassem touched on the current political and security developments, thanking Iran for what he said was support for Lebanon in confronting Israel, considering that the results of the direct negotiations that took place recently led to an American announcement aimed at imposing an Israeli vision for Lebanon’s future.
He said that making the disarmament of the resistance a condition for any agreement means, as he put it, “the annihilation of Lebanon’s power” and opening the door to an existential threat to the Lebanese, considering that Israel is trying through politics to achieve what it was unable to achieve through war.
He believed that the security path proposed under the title of ceasefire does not achieve stability, as long as the Israeli attacks continue, stressing that the priority must be to stop the comprehensive aggression and Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
He added that Hezbollah did not make any commitment not to respond to Israeli attacks, stressing that the resistance will continue to confront any aggression “with all its might,” and that the security of Israeli settlements will not be achieved as long as Lebanese villages are subjected to bombing and destruction.
Qassem stressed that the primary goal must be to stabilize Lebanon’s sovereignty by stopping Israeli attacks on land, sea and air, withdrawing from Lebanese territory, deploying the Lebanese army south of the Litani River, liberating prisoners, returning people to their villages, and launching the reconstruction process.
He also rejected any link between the future of the resistance and stopping the Israeli aggression, considering that addressing Lebanese internal issues must take place through dialogue between the Lebanese within the framework of the constitution and the National Accord Document.
Regarding the internal aspect, Qassem called on the Lebanese authority to work to strengthen national unity and address political divisions, holding it responsible for launching an inclusive dialogue that unites the Lebanese in facing the current challenges, and calling for an end to what he described as the “farce” represented by direct negotiations, and adherence to the option of a strong state capable of protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty.
