On Thursday evening, Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a televised speech for the occasion of Liberation Day.
Nasrallah presented a panoramic assessment of the political situation, starting with an overview of the missions Hizbollah has been carrying out in their fight against Israel, all the way to the regional scene and Lebanon.
Regarding the matter of the Lebanese presidential elections, he called for dialogue among all the Lebanese political factions “with no pre-condition”, hinting indirectly at his once-number-one ally, Head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP Gebran Bassil.
On a side note, Nasrallah did not mention his party’s presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh even once during his speech.
When it came to the subject of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, he elaborated that Lebanon faces two scenarios. The first would be the Governor’s resignation, while the second would be to let the judiciary take its course of action. Nasrallah also noted that in either case, an alternative plan should be put on standby.
Nasrallah concluded his speech with the issue of the Syrian refugees, stating that the only way to solve this matter is through an official Lebanese ministerial delegation that would visit Syria, attempt to normalize Lebanon’s relationship with its neighboring country, and work out a practical plan to help as many refugees as possible return to their homeland.
Hizbollah’s leader then elaborated on the regional change due to the balance of power from a military and communal point of view, redefining the psyche of the Resistance along the way.
In Nasrallah’s perspective, Israel is now hiding behind a wall of steel and fire, and even with all its defenses including the Iron Dome, Israelis still hide in shelters while the troops in Gaza are on the battlefield, fighting.
According to him, this is due to a major lack of credibility and faith amid the Israeli leadership that is marred by corruption charges.
He went on to analyze the reason behind why Israel lowered its tone in its rhetoric, saying that this is mainly due to the fact that their shekel is depreciating against the US dollar and the Israeli’s fear over the upcoming touristic season. He warned Israel against conducting any military operation, saying that it may lead to a major war in the region. “We’re the ones who can threaten of a major war, not you”, he said.
