Hezbollah vs. Israel: Hasan Nasrallah evokes the Quneitra operation (3)
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speech on January 30, 2015, commemorating the Quneitra martyrs, and evoking the Hezbollah retaliation against Israel (3/4)
Transcript
00:02The Israelis assumed what happened? Was that Hezbollah in a state of loss, in a state of anxiety, would not know what to do, where should it hide....
00:27There were a lot of evaluations made about the significance of this assassination
00:36Before I speak about the next subject, let us express our feelings honestly, this was expressed by many of our colleagues during their gatherings and meetings,
00:52The assassination operation in Quneitra, there is a painful side which is the humanitarian side, yes we do feel pain, we do feel sorrow, the families of the martyrs feel sorrow, when they cry.
01:10I tell them cry, there’s no problem, don’t say we don’t want to cry, now someday if I don’t cry this is related to the media and the psychological warfare
01:23But away from the cameras, I cried, I’m a father, just like all other fathers
01:34So as the humanitarian level, when it comes to humane feelings of course we lost our beloved and dear ones
01:43Everything that happened related to this catastrophe we don’t view it except as being a blessing, having benefits and being something good, this is a gift from God
02:10Let the Israelis think in such a way, let’s put our human feelings aside.
02:19Everything else is positive and also goodness and gracious from God, for our path and our resistance and for our cause and our region
02:33We always draw our lessons from Karbala, because it is the event which summarises a lot of values and meanings, here we also take our lesson from Sayida Zainab (peace be upon her)
02:47When she was questioned by Ubeidallah son of Ziyad (la) where he asked her what do you see what God did to your brother? What did Sayida Zainab say?
03:06This is our culture - She said: ‘I didn’t see anything but beauty.’
03:13Those are a group that God said must fight and they went and fought and did the task, of course the other group will be punished, look at the courage of Imam Husain and his family
03:34Comparing it to Quneitra and other battles it’s nothing, of course we feel sorrow because we lost our beloved, just as Sayida Zainab said we didn’t see anything except beauty
03:51Our 7 brothers they are a group that God said must fight so they went and did what they said must fight so they went and did what they should do
04:00And between us and this enemy, we have this life this life and the aftermath,
04:07Now let me speak about the next topic I will take some extra time today, because I’m the only speaker, I take my share of the one who usually speaks before me
04:20From the beginning after the assassination and the revelation of the name of the martyrs
04:28The enemy, the friend and the neutral sides were preoccupied with analysis and expectations, there was a central question. Will Hezbollah respond or will it remain silent?
04:46And if Hezbollah does respond when, where and how? And what will be the limits of that response and what are the dangerous repercussions of this response
05:02These questions from Monday until Wednesday we left all the experts to answer but until Wednesday these questions were being asked
05:14But the bigger discussion was amongst the Israelis, we read a lot of studies and expectations, some analysed in a neutral way, regardless of liking or hating us
05:33Some analysed out of their love for us or out of their hatred for us, anyway lets put this aside, the questions which were posed have been answered
05:48But the bigger issue was amongst the Israelis what they were subjected to after the revelation of the assassination in Quneitra,
06:01This is the important issue that I wanted to talk about regarding the Shebaa Farms
06:06You are supposed to be a regional superpower, and you killed deliberately, not by mistake or not by coincidence, no you took a decision, how did the Israelis deal with it?
06:23I don’t want to make expectations, but I’ll refer to some important points.
06:28The way they dealt with the operation and the media and politically, was it them? Not them? Not us? Did they discuss it?
06:40It’s not clear yet as I said I still don’t know if the Israelis have officially claimed responsibility and said we did it, but for 10 days they continued in such a way that wasn’t clear
06:51The way that also dealt with the martyrdom of Mohammed Ali Allahdadi, were they surprised? Were they not surprised that there was an Iranian General amongst that group?
07:03They didn't know what to say, like all the world they wont speak openly but some officials won’t speak but they might tell their commentator friends to express the stance.
07:18Israel was in a state of alert, especially in the northern areas and the Golan Heights and the sending the Iron Domes to the North. Leave one near Gaza and take the rest to the North
07:33Precautionary measures were in a state of alert of 100% from Sunday until Wednesday, if you go to the Lebanese/Palestinian border
07:49would you find any farmer, soldier, military tanks, vehicles, cars, no you wouldn’t, even in the settlements, they all went and hid,
08:01They said there’s nothing but they went and hid and they were afraid.
08:05Also messages being sent by different countries at the same time threats and promises.
08:14If Hezbollah responds we will do this, we will do that, to Lebanon, to Syria, to the region, this was said in public and also in private
08:24However all of Israel, all of its political leaders, its generals, its inhabitants, its settlers, its soldiers, their focus, their eyes, their ears, their minds, were all set on Lebanon.
08:41Where in Lebanon, on Hezbollah, on one word, on one smile, on one signal, one stance, what will this party do.
08:51Let me speak in a clearly, I consider the first achievement of the blood of the martyrs and the first Israeli confession to the capability of the resistance value and its readiness
09:11Was that from Sunday until Wednesday, Israel was standing on one and a half legs waiting for Hezbollah in Lebanon, not on two legs, on one and a half.
09:25This is because of the blessing of the blood of the martyrs and the determination of the fighters and the determination of the supporters of the resistance fighters.
09:39Some assumed that now all hell will break loose against Hezbollah, Iran will call - allow me to speak freely,
09:50Some said for example Iran will call and say be careful we have nuclear negotiations P5+1 there is a good chance a solution will be reached don’t do anything
10:01Or the Syrian leadership will say they are threatening, they might strike us, today the priority is fighting the others
10:10I say no, Syria, Iran, friend, those who love us, no one of those friends, none of them will satisfy or agree to us being humiliated
10:26None of those beloved will be satisfied or would accept our blood to be spilt without responding!
10:34I’m just closing some files here, between brackets, this continuous talk about Iranian nuclear talks, no there is nothing in Lebanon which is related to this or the Lebanese
10:55There is nothing here related to the Iranian negotiations, whether it be the presidential elections in Lebanon or the decision of the resistance to respond to any aggression.
11:08This is something which is Lebanese, the Iranians respect, Iran respects our interests, respects our dignity, so between brackets, close this case.
11:22This stance was enough to tell the Israelis and the whole world, to tell the Israelis look you cannot kill people and then go sleep and rest reassured,
11:47And your farmers go about their daily lives and your soldiers take walks on the border and feel safe and secure as if you killed insects, no
12:00From the very beginning Israel, the Israelis confessed that they are confronting a different reality
12:10Aand also the Israelis put together or put all the scenarios on the table, a non response, a response, and when they refer to the response
12:19they spoke about the least possible response to targeting infrastructure and institutions etc
12:28Because the Israelis know that the resistance is capable and the resistance is ready and that everything that has been said until now
12:37You know who knows more than anyone else, the Israelis.
12:40People who don’t trust us, they say you’re saying this okay, but the Israelis regardless of whether or not they trust us their information tells them.
12:53This might be some of the blessings of the spies, they help in psychological warfare.
13:01So the enemy knows that this circle of scenarios is all possible, all the scenarios are possible for Hezbollah. Hezbollah is capable of carrying out all of these scenarios
13:16Now we haven’t reached the operation itself yet.
13:19As the Israelis were confused and discussing, the whole region was waiting - and I will say also with all transparency
13:29From Sunday just after the operation we were clear then we needed to meet and take decisions but we were clear. but when we met the discussion didn’t take more than 10 minutes.
13:42I will say what happened because it will give a clue, signals the future path, not just for the sake of history to refer to the future.
13:54We from the very beginning we were very clear we must respond that was our stance that we must respond.
14:01There was no hesitation, no, not even 0.1% of room for discussion, the Israelis must be punished for the crime they committed in Quneitra
14:16We must put an end to these ongoing Israeli crimes, aggressions, killings and arrogance, we also said that this requires sacrifice even if situations reached the end
14:37We decided where the operation should take place, the nature of the operation, the time of the operation, what kind of operation, what the choices are for the resistance fighters
14:50We looked into them and we based our calculations on the worst possible scenario, we prepared ourselves for the worst scenarios and we took measures based on these calculations
15:08And this is what the Israelis fully understood before Wednesday because there was a lot of movement the Israelis were aware of
15:15Israel understood that any bullet fired from any place they expect they know that he who is opening fire now he is ready to go further than any could imagine and ready for this!
15:37So this was related to deterrence for the results which the events ended with in the Shebaa Farms and the border
15:47Then we saw the unique operation of the freedom fighters in the Shebaa Farms on Wednesday around 11:30, and God helped us in all different aspects and we thank God
16:03We plan of course and we make preparations, our fighters take all the measures, everything else then is up too God
16:12God is the One who makes us achieve victory, even the result, this number or that number, this is all God’s work.
16:22This professionalism you speak about we rely on God for this;
16:28Yes we do have professionals, yes there is no mistake in that
16:31Then the operation took place this is some of the uniqueness for this operation. Many spoke about it; it took place right in the midst of the Israeli state of alert and preparations.
16:47The Israelis were aware, the Israelis from the beginning of Sunday they saw all of the measures
16:58They were spying on us, there were cellular phones they were eves dropping and spying and there were measures which taken, the Israelis understood
17:06So from Sunday night and Monday they were at the highest level of alert, intelligence level, the spies, the border, the precautionary measures, everything;
17:19Even if an insect passes they should spot it on the border so they took all the measures
17:24However the resistance in broad daylight, and right in the midst of the state of alert, it carried out this unique operation in the Shebaa Farms and the Israelis were incapable.
17:38I say this to the enemy and the people of the enemy because the people consider that their army is the strongest army.
17:46I would like to tell them that right in the midst, at the peak of the state of alert and they have all of this surveillance and a difficult area
17:53At this same time the Israelis were not able to know what happened from the beginning of the operation till the end and when our fighters came back the Israelis knew or they awoke.
18:02This is a message to the enemy, to the people of the enemy and to our friends, to the most honourable people,
18:16Who there are always efforts made to shake the confidence of the supporters of resistance
18:25Even the enemy said this, the enemy said it was a smart, professional operation a secret operation, yes this is your resistance.
18:35Now we go to the stance, the result of the operation was they killed us in broad daylight and we killed them in broad daylight
18:5511:30, 11:45, either 11:30, 11:25 or 11:35
19:05Two cars on the other hand, we targeted two cars plus and more, people killed and wounded and we had martyrs. Now regarding the numbers we will see how we can solve that.
19:27Missiles on the other side, we also had missiles, we didn’t plant an explosive device, no, in broad daylight on the battlefield they launched these rockets from their shoulders.
19:39There are two differences between us and the Israelis
20:01The first is because the Israelis are cowards because they are not real men and because they do not fight except behind fortifications or behind walls
20:17They attacked us by surprise but the men of resistance, because they are real men, because they do not fear death, they came face to face.
20:36There is a second difference
20:54The Israelis didn’t have the courage, they carried out this act but they didn’t have the courage to claim responsibility for the operation
21:07But the resistance claimed responsibility in a statement directly after the operation took place
21:27Therefore this is what happened up until now
21:33So as a conclusion because they are still stalling
21:39All they will get is disappointment and the only thing we will get is victory and our fighters who were killed are in heaven, their fighters who were killed are in hell.
21:53Now to issue the statement
22:08It is our duty here to express my thanks and to salute the freedom fighters of the resistance and their leaders
22:20Who from the very beginning since the assassination took place they were working very precisely
22:25I must salute specifically the heroic freedom fighters who carried out this unique operation right at the heart of the enemy, and I kiss their hands and I kiss their raised foreheads
22:52Now the conclusion and the stance, of course a lot has been said in designations and abstracts and I don’t want to repeat them but I would like to focus on 3 or 4 to get a conclusion.
23:04The Israelis have now discovered in the past few days and there is now controversy in Israel it’s the time of elections, the controversy is heated and it’s normal for it to be heated;
23:18the estimation of the political, military and security leadership was an idiotic estimation.
23:26Even though they present themselves as they are experts and that they have experience not like Olmert and Perez. Those who will soon forget their names or we’ve forgotten them.
23:37However they are the ones who suppose that they are experts and understand, no they went for an idiotic estimation; all their estimations were wrong and all their expectations were wrong.
23:50The Israelis discovered that their leadership put them on the edge of great dangers we could inflict on them, their entity, interests, security, their economy and all that they have;
24:09This is the result of the idiocy this leadership committed and which the assassination led to negative results and it will lead to more negative results.
24:21Secondly the Israeli Army, their security services and all their capabilities are incapable of confronting the will of the resistance and its field performance.
24:32This is an epitome. This is Israel, Israel who we defeated in the year 2000 and who the people of Gaza defeated numerous times, and Israel who we defeated in the year 2006
24:47Israel who we defeated yesterday is weaker than a spider’s web and will be nothing else!
25:01Thirdly, the resistance in Lebanon is in its utmost verdure, readiness, consciousness, professionalism, courage, intellect, presence and so on.
25:15Fourthly, the Takfiri groups, those who are on the borders of occupied Golan are a natural ally of the Israeli enemy and are a new Syrian Lahad army holding the Islamic banner;
25:42This is of the conclusions which must be included.
25:45As for the stance, firstly I would like to affirm because after the al-Mayadeen interview there was a lot of analysis and talk of what was said and how it was said.
26:00I would like to affirm so I don’t repeat myself because I spoke a lot there of the equations and proceedings
26:07On every word which I said on the al-Mayadeen interview with the issue of the resistance and the battle with the Israeli enemy and I do not need to repeat
26:17But I say today after what happened on Sunday in Quneitra and Wednesday in the Shebaa Farms, you tried us, do not try us again; that’s first.
26:30Secondly, and this is the most important message, the most important thing in the hour and a half, sorry not an hour and a half, an hour and 5 minutes up till now
26:42But I revealed my intentions that I was appointing an hour and a half, but I will finish before God willing
26:50If you ask what is the most important thing in all this that you’ve said I will say it is this sentence, the Israeli, the friends and dear ones we will speak with them there is no problem
27:02We value the feelings and the national interests and concerns, and this resistance has proved that it behaves responsibly and wisely, leave this on the side.
27:11However the Israeli must understand let me say it in formal Arabic so they may translate it to Hebrew properly; the Israeli must understand that this resistance is not discouraged
27:27It is wise but not discouraged, there is a difference between wisdom and fear, one is brave and capable however has wisdom.
27:43There is one who is a coward or unable, this has nothing to do with wisdom; this resistance is courageous, capable, wise and is not discouraged.
27:54If the Israeli enemy is making his calculations that the resistance is discouraged and that it fears war
28:09I tell him today in the remembrance of the martyrs of Quneitra and after the Shebaa Farms special operation
28:17Let this enemy know we do not fear war and will not retreat in confronting it and we will confront it if it is imposed on us and we will be victorious God willing!
28:46Do not make a wrong calculation and I think Wednesday is the most important message because the issue isn’t just operation Shebaa Farms
28:56What was before it, what is after it and what is around it, the Israeli reads all this and takes the message I am sending him
29:06I am not speaking psychological warfare or intimidation or anything, I am speaking the truth which we expressed on the field.
29:17Those who love us I say there is a big difference between saying you want a war, we don’t want a war, this is not weak talk, this is intellectual, responsible and emotional talk
29:31This is our people, our country, our villages and our allies, nobody, the resistance in Lebanon or the resistance in Palestine, no one wants a war.
29:44We were obliged to become a resistance always ready militarily because we had a widespread Israeli aggression, there’s a difference.
29:58I don’t want war, no we don’t want war but we are not afraid of war, we must differentiate between the two, the Lebanese must differentiate between the two, even when taking a stance
30:12The Israelis also must understand this very well, we are not afraid of war.
30:18We behave in a wise way we don’t want to go to war, no, I’m not ashamed of this we don’t want to go to war, we are not afraid of war
30:26Let me repeat it again until they can memorize them,
30:30The Israelis and all those who are listening, listen very well, we are the men and the freedom fighters and we are the ones who bring about great victory with God’s help and God’s will
30:47Thirdly, I also hope they listen very well here today after the operation of the martyrs of Quneitra and the response in the Shebaa Farms I want to be clear
31:02We in the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon we are no longer concerned with the rules of engagement, we don’t recognize the engagement,
31:16that’s it, or in fighting the aggressions and we no longer recognize dividing up or separating the battlefields,
31:28It is that clear, and it’s our right, our religious, humanitarian, legal right, even according to international law if anyone wants to discuss with me from the International law perspective
31:45It is our right to confront the aggression whatever be this aggression at any time whatever form of this aggression it’s our right to confront it, at any place at any form whatsoever!
32:06This issue about I struck you here and you struck me there that’s gone, that’s ended, you struck me here I strike you there that’s ended.
32:18Wherever possible at any time possible it is the right of the resistance to respond at any place at any time in any form, anywhere.
32:34Fourthly, we heard the Israelis when they wanted to absorb the Shebaa Farms operation they said okay that’s it, anyway who ever stands behind this attack will pay the price dearly.
32:56Now some people might understand that as political talk but allow me here just to look into the details, I understand, let me tell the Israelis what me and my colleagues, what we understood
32:59Now some people might understand that as political talk but allow me here just to look into the details,
33:06Let me tell the Israelis what me and my colleagues, what we understood that the Israelis are running away from the military confrontation
33:22Are searching for those who are responsible who are the individuals who humiliated Israel on Wednesday in the Shebaa Farms to assassinate them
33:32By an explosive device by a spy or sending a commandos group to Lebanon like they used to and are still doing by the sea or land, this is what we understood.
33:45So based upon this we previously used to separate for example you ask me and I pointed out to this before
33:59You asked me, what’s the difference between the assassination of the Quneitra martyrs and the assassination of Haj Hassan Lakkis
34:07We are talking about the new martyrs, Hajj Emad we speak about him in the other occasion, what’s the difference, this is a clear military operation which doesn’t require any discussion
34:23But on the other hand it is a security operation which is suspicious but I swear to God that the Israelis also assassinated Haj Hassan Lakkis
34:31We used to deal with military action as something which requires a response, we decide the time, place and the form like what happened previously
34:49However when we see a security assassination then are patient and let us be sure my message today from now on when it comes to any one of Hezbollah fighters
35:06Any of Hezbollah’s youth who is killed in such a manner we will hold Israel responsible and consider it our right to respond at any place, any time and any way that we find suitable
35:23War, one day it is for you, one day it is against you, one day your enemy makes achievements, one day you make. I took your time but I wanted to give the topic what it deserves.
35:51This experience of Sunday January 18th till today is a very rich experience; it is not an operation and a counter operation, no
36:02This is not what I said, some commentators said that what took place in the Sehbaa Farms is bigger than a revenge and smaller than a war, that’s right, that’s a correct description.
36:15These past two weeks that we have witnessed during this period, the whole region witnessed something which was bigger than a confrontation and less than a war
36:25it requires being studied and we should also draw lessons from it politically and also militarily, at a moral level, at the same time whereby we stress on the stances I mentioned
36:41At the same time our brothers have also proven that they behave with the appropriate responsibility, the appropriate national responsibility, religious responsibility
36:51And they are not taken by enthusiasm nor are they taken by their feelings despite their responsibility so I don’t need to assure you more.
37:06Anyway, the martyrs they are the ones who open the path for us and they promise us for the decisive victory and with hope
37:16Since 1982 until today, we have always concluded our statements by saying the resistance itself is a response and the martyrs bring about victory,
37:26The martyrs brought about victory and will bring about more victory God willing.
37:32Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.