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Memri
5 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Editor Of Saudi Government Daily: Hizbullah Must Be Disarmed, Willingly Or By Force
In a recent article, Khalid Bin Hamad Al-Malik, editor of the Saudi daily Al-Jazirah, harshly criticizes the Hizbullah and Amal organizations for opposing Lebanon's decision to disarm Hizbullah, and argues that if this organization refuses to surrender its weapons willingly, it must be divested of them by force. Hizbullah, he says, has caused the death and wounding of thousands of Lebanese, as well as extensive destruction in the country, and has committed terror against civilians. Moreover, it serves a foreign (i.e., Iranian) agenda, and torpedoes every reform aimed at rebuilding Lebanon, wanting to keep it backward, unstable and under its control. Therefore, Al-Malik argues, allowing Hizbullah to continue its policies and retain its weapons, which are directed mainly against rivals at home, is "an unforgivable crime." Khaled Bin Hamad Al-Malik (Image: The following are translated excerpts from his article:[1] "Hizbullah Secretary-General Na'im Qassem admits that 5,000 Lebanese have been killed and 13,000 have been wounded, although he neglected to mention the considerable damage to property, the loss of [Hizbullah's former] leader and much of its weapons, the destruction throughout Lebanon, and Israel's occupation of five areas in the south. And the losses may be greater than Na'im Qassem announced. The Lebanese state was supposed to openly declare the actual scope of the losses, and Hizbullah was supposed to comply with the Lebanese consensus and surrender its arms to the military, thus ending [the situation] whereby it possesses weapons to intimidate the Lebanese and threaten their lives. "But Hizbullah refuses to disarm or to set out a timetable for disarmament. It continues to insist that the army is incapable of defending Lebanon against Israel's attacks, yet it retains its weapons without using them against Israel. [Instead], it tolerates the strikes of the Israeli army against its people and strongholds, and does not retaliate. "The Hizbullah and Amal representatives walked out of the cabinet meeting two days ago, headed by Lebanese President [Joseph] Aoun, when [they realized that] the intension was to set out a timetable requiring Hizbullah to surrender its arms by the end of the year. This proves that the [Shi'ite] Hizbullah–Amal axis has no intention of [complying with the demand] to confine the weapons to the state and disarm all the [Lebanese] organizations. [This axis means to] leave Lebanon occupied and at Israel's mercy, without security or stability. "Ahead of the cabinet meeting Hizbullah's secretary-general stressed that the weapons would not be handed over, and threatened that the war between Lebanon and Israel would turn into a war among Lebanese, i.e., between Hizbullah and the Lebanese. This means that he wants Lebanon to remain a backward state, with Israel, Hizbullah and Amal controlling of all its resources. More than that: one day before the cabinet meeting, Hizbullah organized protests against its disarmament, and threatened to organize another protest after the meeting, which forced the army and security forces to deploy in order to prevent clashes between citizens… "I ask: What did Hizbullah wish [to accomplish] by plotting against Lebanon's unity and dragging it into wars that destroyed it, ruined its economy and growth and left it without income from tourism?... [Another] question: Do the organization's leaders not know that, by plotting against Lebanon, they obstruct its recovery, deprive it of Gulf and international aid, and provide Israel with an excuse to continue attacking it and occupying territory in the south?... "I have [yet another] question: Who is responsible for the death of 5,000 Lebanese and the wounding of 13,000 others, if not Hizbullah? Who is responsible for terror against civilians, if not this organization? Who has thwarted Lebanon's development and spread anarchy within it? Is there anyone to blame, except for Hizbullah, which implements a foreign [i.e., Iranian] agenda and conspires against the state on foreign orders? "Finally, I ask: When will Hizbullah realize, after decades of foiling every attempt at reform… that its policy and its weapons, which are directed against the Lebanese, are an unforgivable crime, and that its [tendency to] embroil Lebanon in wars with Israel is the reason [this country] is weak, wretched and succumbs to Hizbullah's decisions to destroy it? "[I address] Na'im Qassem and his helpers in Hizbullah, as well as Nabih Berri and his helpers in the Amal movement – the two Shi'ite [forces] that destroyed and are still destroying Lebanon, toyed with the interests of the state and thwarted the repair of what they have ruined in the country. Remember that things have changed in Lebanon. The situation is not as it was in the past, and if you do not hand over your weapons willingly, you will be divested of them by force and coercion."
Memri
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Hizbullah Leader Na'im Qassem: Al-Aqsa Flood Achieved Its Goal; Israel Failed To Destroy Hamas And Hizbullah; Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon Should Not Be Delayed; Resistance Will Act At Time And In Manner It Sees Fit
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here . On January 27, 2025, at the conclusion of the 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah in Lebanon that was signed on November 27, 2024, and following an announcement by the White House on the January 26 about the extension of the ceasefire until February 18, 2025, [1] Secretary-General of Lebanese Hizbullah, sheikh Na'im Qassem, delivered an approximately 50-minute televised speech. In his speech, Qassem claimed that the Al-Aqsa Flood campaign had achieved its goal and that Israel had failed in its attempt to destroy Hamas and Hizbullah. He declared that Israel must withdraw from Lebanon and that his organization would not agree to extend the ceasefire agreement "by even one day." He also asserted that the resistance reserved the right to operate at a time and in a manner that it sees fit. [2] "The Goal Of Al-Aqsa Flood Was Achieved, And Israel's Project To Destroy The Resistance And Hamas Was Defeated" The Hizbullah secretary-general opened his speech with remarks pertaining to the January 21, 2025 assassination of sheikh Muhammad Hamadi, the Hizbullah official responsible for the western Beqaa district of Lebanon in the village of Mashgharah in the same area. He said that Hamadi was murdered at "the hands of traitors" and that although the investigation of the incident was still ongoing, "suspicion points toward the Zionists." Referring to recent incidents in the Gaza Strip, Qassem described them as a victory for the Palestinian people and all the peoples of the region, saying, "The goal of Al-Aqsa Flood was achieved, and Israel's project to destroy the resistance and Hamas was defeated." He said that the "aggression" directed at Gaza and Lebanon was "an unrestrained act of hostility backed by the U.S. and the West," and that the U.S. and Israel wanted to destroy the resistance but it faced them "with legendary resolve and martyrdom-driven determination." Qassem added that it was Israel that requested a ceasefire and Hizbullah and the government of Lebanon acquiesced, which he claimed was a victory in itself. While noting that Israel's "informational dominance, control over communications, artificial intelligence, and airpower" were critical factors in the strikes directed at Hizbullah, he claimed that the resistance remained strong and had agreed to hold its fire when the government of Lebanon came to the decision to defend its borders and bring about the withdrawal of Israel from its territory. He declared, "This is an opportunity for the state to fulfill its duties and test its political capabilities." "Israel's Continued Presence In Lebanon Is An Act Of Aggression Against Lebanese Sovereignty; The Resistance Has The Right To Act As It Sees Fit Regarding The Form, Nature, And Timing Of The Confrontation" The Hizbullah leader said that his organization preferred not to respond to Israel's violations of the ceasefire agreement, despite "feelings of humiliation and retaliatory actions." He described the scenes of the displaced Lebanese returning to their homes in South Lebanon, in the Beqaa Valley, and in the southern suburb of Beirut as "a victory scene," and claimed, "We achieved victory because we returned, and the occupier will be forced to leave and withdraw." Declaring that the resistance fighters "never left the battlefield," and the resistance remains "steadfast and strong," he also said that the American sponsor of the agreement is the same one who sponsors the Israeli "aggression" and failed to play its role, yet "we decided not to give any pretext. The breach of the agreement proves Lebanon's need for the resistance." Qassem asserted that, "The tripartite equation of the army, the people, and the resistance, which stopped Israel from reaching Beirut and the south of the Litani River, is as clear as the sunlight; the problem lies with those who cannot see it, and it will remain radiant." He repeated his demand that Israel should have withdrawn from Lebanon at the close of the 60-day period stipulated in the ceasefire agreement and stated that Hizbullah does not agree to an extension of the ceasefire period "by even one day." He said that the U.S., the UN, France and Israel bear the responsibility for all consequences of delaying the Israeli withdrawal. He also declared that a continued Israeli presence in Lebanon "is an [act of] aggression against Lebanese sovereignty, and everyone is responsible for confronting this occupation: the people, the army, the state, and the resistance. The resistance has the right to act as it sees fit regarding the form, nature, and timing of the confrontation." Two recent statements issued by Hizbullah are notable in the context of Qassem's speech, in which he stressed that a delay in the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon is a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and urges Lebanon to take every action to make it happen, [3] and also encourages violent confrontations between Lebanese citizens and Israeli forces in South Lebanon. [4]
