Hezbollah’s Retaliation against Israel Inevitable: Nasrallah

Secretary General of Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Seyed Hassan Nasrallah Sunday warned Israel that retaliation for the recent killing of a key member of the movement Samir Qantar is inevitable.

“We will not forgive those who have shed the blood of our fighters … We tell Israel to keep an eye on all its borders – and even beyond them – as Hezbollah’s retaliation could happen anywhere,” Nasrallah vowed during a televised speech commemorating Qantar, who was killed one week prior in an Israeli airstrike on his residence in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana.

Nasrallah praised Qantar for being a courageous and dedicated member of the movement, saying that Hezbollah needed more men like him.

“He (Qantar) believed in sacrificing without limits and was ready to be imprisoned or die after a resistance (Hezbollah) attack … Not many people are willing on doing so despite their acceptance of the resistance’s ideology,” Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah went on to commend the late commander for his steadfastness during the 30 years he spent in an Israeli prison, saying he did not compromise or break, but rather left insistent on joining Hezbollah and continuing to carry out attacks against Israeli occupation, the Daily Star reported.

“After Hezbollah kidnapped the Israeli soldiers in the occupied Shebaa Farms in 2000 to carry out a swap deal (with Israel), the Israelis notified the German mediators of their complete refusal to free Qantar, who was considered the main hurdle,” Nasrallah said, adding that Qantar could have easily continued his life as normal after being released, but instead chose to become a Hezbollah fighter.

He also slammed Arab nations for their incompetency and inability to face Israel, ridiculing the anti-terror coalition Saudi Arabia recently announced.

“Do not wait for Arabs to do anything about Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians, their homes and their holy places … What do you expect from (Arab) regimes? What have they done for the last 67 years? They have left no place for hope, but have rather brought despair,” Nasrallah said.

Addressing Palestinians, the Hezbollah chief said that Israel only gives them two options: either to accept a semi-autonomous state, or migrate to other countries, denying that any party in Israel – whether left or right-wing – would accept a two state solution.

“A two state solution is out of the question for the Israelis … But an empire falls even after 100 or 200 years, so nobody should bet on Israel’s eternity,” he told the crowd of supporters watching him from a hall in a southern Beirut suburb.

He said that Israel would easily be defeated if Hezbollah, the Palestinians and resistance from the Golan Heights were to join forces, pointing out that Hezbollah and the Palestinian resistance in Gaza were alone able to “gain victories even with limited (military) capabilities.”