Nasrallah Rejects U.S. Conditions For Openness, Won”t Recognize Israel
Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah rejected U.S. conditions for "openness" with Hizbullah adding that the party is the one that places its own conditions for dialogue.
"We feel a new American stance for dialogue with Hizbullah and Hamas that is based on 2 conditions: recognizing Israel, and abandoning violence. Is Hizbullah ready to open a dialogue with the US? If so, we also have our own conditions, we as Hizbullah cannot recognize Israel," Nasrallah said.
On the occasion of the prophet”s birthday on Friday, Hizbullah”s secretary-general addressed a mass crowd celebrating this event, reminding them of historic difficulties that befell the Arabs at the time of prophet”s birth in Mecca.
He linked the lesson of past historic triumphs with the current times chiding the Arabs to learn from their past.
Nasrallah pointed to the new approach by the Obama administration in seeking to talk groups like Hizbullah with conditions saying: "When the U.S. accepts to hold a dialogue with any party with or without conditions, it does so due to the (fact) that its regional plans have failed. Despite all this it places us on a terrorist list, but is ready to talk to us and forgive us if we (only) recognize Israel," Nasrallah said.
He rejected claims that Hizbullah is helping Hamas in Gaza launch rockets against Israel saying: "No one can impose on the Palestinian factions what to do, they make their own decisions."
He added saying: "Some Arab and Lebanese media outlets attempted to accuse Hizbullah of launching rockets in Gaza… we have no relationship with anyone or any faction in Gaza."
The secretary-general also announced his denunciation of the International Criminal Court”s recent decision to charge Sudan”s president Omar al-Beshir with responsibility for crimes committed in Darfur.
"This court never proved that its fair, it works outside the political standard that is why its decisions are not respected," he said.
He reminded his audience of recent Israeli crimes committed in Gaza and Lebanon that continue to go unpunished and unrecognized by the United Nations and the world community.
Nasrallah touched the on issue of national and Arab unity saying that the enemies of the nation do not wish for us to come together as Muslims and Christians.
He called on the Arabs as they get closer to the Doha Arab summit at the end of March, to extend their hand in friendship to all states that support Arab causes such as Iran and Turkey.
Locally, he warned against the dangers of inflating some security events by the (local) media, by directing suggestive and quick unfounded accusations. Adding that this only works on inflating and aggravating the country.
He was referring to recent security incidents that took place in Lebanon, that later turned out to be of individual nature with no political nature.
Concerning the upcoming parliamentary elections Nasrallah said that the term majority does not mean popular majority. Adding that the opposition won”t hinder the legislative elections "because we have nothing to lose."