Nasrallah: Lebanon Chose to Distance Itself from Regional Events to Preserve the Govt.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah defended on Friday Lebanon’s decision to distance itself from regional developments.
He said: “Lebanon is part of the region, but its decision is aimed at preserving the government.”
He made his statements during a ceremony marking Martyrs Leaders Day and the assassination of former party leader Abbas Moussawi.
“The region is passing through a critical phase as it is being restructured and Lebanon is not an island onto itself,” he remarked.
“We are part of the region and the country’s security is linked to regional security,” he stated.
“Lebanon used to be a country that used to be affected by regional events … but now they can no longer ignore Lebanon’s effective role due to the resistance and the role of the army, people, and resistance,” Nasrallah said.
“Israel is the greatest threat and we should remain diligent to its plans in Lebanon and the region,” he noted.
Given the current regional situation, he added that Lebanon’s political and security stability should be set as a priority.
“Whoever wants to create strife in Iraq, Syria, and Libya wants to spread the unrest to Lebanon,” he declared.
“Those seeking to voice their opinions on the developments on Syria can do so without resorting to sectarian rhetoric,” he added.
He therefore stressed the importance of confronting strife in each country it erupts in and preventing it from being spread to others.
The Hizbullah chief noted that Lebanon has so far succeeded in thwarting such unrest from affecting it.
On this note, he emphasized the need to preserve the current government, adding however that this need should not be an excuse for the lack of productivity.
“Claims that it is unproductive are baseless because a government that is preserving the country’s security and economy cannot be ineffective. Some sides are seeking to obstruct its functioning,” explained Nasrallah.
He therefore renewed a call for the government to resume its sessions.
Moreover, he slammed March 14 claims that the cabinet “belongs to Hizbullah,” deeming such allegations as “baseless.”
“They sought to promote such claims in order to incite the Americans and Israelis against it and drive the West to boycott it,” he remarked.
“We are the government’s most humble members and we have delayed tackling a few issues in order to preserve it, however the government must assume its responsibilities,” he said.
Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent remarks that Lebanon does not exist on the map, Nasrallah noted: “Such statements reflect the Israeli ideology that relies on threats and the destruction of others.”
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