Hezbollah Chief Sends 'Message of Calm' to Lebanon and Beyond

Alsharq Tribune- Gina Issa

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem sought on Friday to deliver a “message of calm” to Lebanon and beyond, stressing that the Iran-backed party’s weapons are “only aimed against the Israeli enemy.”

“We are proposing dialogue and understanding from a position of strength and gratitude,” he said in a televised address. “The entire region is at a dangerous political crossroads. US-backed Israel is an expansionist and occupying entity at the height of its criminality,” he warned.

“The situation in the region before the Israeli strike on Qatar is not the same as after the strike,” he remarked. Earlier this month, Israel carried out an attack on Qatar targeting Hamas leaders and drawing Arab outrage over the violation of its sovereignty. “Everything is now in the open.

The target has become Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iran,” charged Qassem. Moreover, he called for dialogue with Saudi Arabia, saying it should tackle “pending issues and address concerns.”

“Dialogue - at least during these extraordinary times - averts disputes that had arisen in recent years,” he went on to say. “The resistance’s [Hezbollah] weapons are aimed at the Israeli enemy, not Lebanon, Saudi Arabia or any other side in the world,” he stated.

“Pressure on the resistance only favors Israel,” he said. “The resistance in Palestine is part of this resistance, which is a fort against Israeli expansion.” Furthermore, he said the US “is only giving the Lebanese army the bare minimum of weapons it needs to manage the internal situation.”

Any weapons that may harm Israel are a red line, he added. He also praised President Joseph Aoun, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for condemning the recent Israeli escalation in the South.

Qassem said: “Hezbollah helped in deterring the enemy and afterwards we took part in electing the president and forming the government.

So, let us cooperate in legislation and running the country. Let us work together.” Turning to Lebanese parties, he stressed: “Let us act as one in expelling Israel and building Lebanon.”

He called for holding next year’s parliamentary elections on time and for the government to prioritize Lebanon's reconstruction and financial and economic reforms. “Let us hold positive dialogue over a national security strategy,” he proposed.