Nasrallah: Direct peace talks 'born dead'
In televised speech in honor of 'Jerusalem Day,' Hezbollah secretary-general slams Palestinian Authority for launching negotiations with Israel, says 'no one has the right to cede a grain of Palestine.' He fails to comment on blast in his organization's arms depot in southern Lebanon
Speaking in a televised speech in honor of "Jerusalem Day," which is being marked by Shiites across the Muslim world, Nasrallah said that "Palestinian from the sea to the river is the property of the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim people, and no one has the right to cede it, nor a grain or drop of water of it."
In his speech, Nasrallah addressed one of the issues the talks were expected to focus on, stressing that "Jerusalem – or a single street in it – can never be the capital of the state called 'Israel.' Jerusalem is the capital of the earth and sky. Excluding the fact that the existence of the State of Israel is both immoral and illegal, and that it is based on murder, it cannot be legitimized."
According to the Hezbollah leader, the circumstances of the negotiations are clear.
"The political need ahead of the (Congress) elections in the United States is clear, the Israeli need is clear, and the need of some of the Arabs is also clear. These negotiations were born dead. The vast majority of the Palestinian people object to them. There are people who even object to the principle of negotiations with Israel – and so do we."
Israeli PM and Arab leaders alongside Obama. 'Illegitimate' (Photo: Reuters)
Nasrallah noted that surveys held among the Palestinians prove that the majority of the Palestinian people oppose the move, "and therefore it is useless."
He added that the attempts of those who participated in negotiations in the past point to great frustration. "Unfortunately, the negotiations with this Israeli enemy in particular, this arrogant and patronizing enemy which is supported by the US and the West, have no results apart from legitimizing this illegitimate entity."
'Resistance won thanks to Palestinians'
Nasrallah mentioned the political climate on the background of the talks, saying that the American withdrawal form Iraq was an admission of defeat. "No one in the US has delivered a victory speech or provided justifications for the pullout," he boasted, noting that Washington was surprised by the local "resistance."
He added that "after the September 11 attacks, the neo-conservatives came to the White House with a plan for the entire regime called 'the great Middle East.' The essence of the plan, he said, was stabilizing Israel's status and strengthening it though a "shameful agreement" which would be imposed on the Palestinians with a comprehensive Arab agreement.
"They came with the goal to destroy the entire resistance – military, political and cultural," he said.
Netanyahu and Abbas with Clinton and Mitchell. 'Palestinians oppose talks' (Photo: AP)
The Hezbollah leader went on to boast the "victory" of the axis of resistance. "American today cannot start new wars… Why did we win and they failed? Because of the standing of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza, and because of the standing of the Lebanese, Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi people…
"Today we call for the continuation of this strong standing and the resistance. Today, despite the difficulties, we feel we are closer to victory than ever before."
According to Nasrallah, Israel of 2010 is different than Israel on the eve of the 2006 and 1982 wars and is "facing great crises."
5 hurt in blasts at Hezbollah arms cache
Nasrallah spoke several hours after a number of explosions caused a large fire in a southern village. Five people were injured in the incident, Lebanese security officials said.
An army source said the blasts might have been triggered by an explosion at a weapons depot belonging to the Hezbollah terror group in the village of Shehabiyeh.
"There was more than one explosion at a house on the outskirts of Shehabiyeh," he said. "Usually (multiple explosions) mean it is ammunition (detonating)," he said.
The al-Jazeera news channel reported that the explosions occurred at a weapons depot located in the three-storey home of a Hezbollah operative.
Israeli security sources noted that the incident proves once again that Hezbollah holds weapons in the heart of a civilian population and endangers southern Lebanon's residents.
IDF officials stressed that the Lebanese army prevented UNIFIL troops from examining the area, pointing to suspicions that the Lebanese army was cooperating with Hezbollah.
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