Rabie Narash, Lebanon’s ambassador to India, while speaking to NDTV about the ongoing and escalating conflict in West Asia, said, every country under occupation has the right to resist the occupation.
The envoy said, “The Lebanese armed forces have not been put into action, because if we did, it would officially become a war between the two countries. Currently it is the people who are protesting the Israeli occupation. “
Clarifying his remarks, the ambassador said, “Israel has been attacking us since its formation because of its policy of occupation and expansionism. Resistance groups like Hezbollah and many others have always opposed this occupation.”
Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon is widely considered a militant organization by many countries in the West and is even considered a terrorist organization by some, including Israel and the United States. Hezbollah members are part of the parliament in Lebanon, but are not considered part of the government.
Speaking about the “resistance group” Hezbollah, the ambassador clearly stated that Lebanon “does not consider Hezbollah a terrorist group. They are freedom fighters who are resisting an occupation. They are fighting for the freedom and independence of the Lebanese people. They are fighting for Israel, and their fight is against state terrorism and occupation by Israel because they are fighting on their own land.”
“As far as relations between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government are concerned, it has always been and is a debatable issue,” he said, adding, “When it comes to domestic issues, Hezbollah is more important than any other Just a political party, they play by the same rules as every other political party.”
Rockets fired at Israel
Tel Aviv has said that Israel has been targeted by Lebanon for the last 11 months. As recently as Thursday, 230 rockets had been fired by Hezbollah at Israeli territory.
Responding to this, the ambassador said, “It is not true that Hezbollah has been fighting Israel for the last 11 months. This fight has been going on since the formation of Israel in 1947-48. The protest against the occupation has continued since then. The fighting has continued since then. Even now Israel is encroaching on Lebanese territory.
Blaming the international community, the envoy said, “The international community is expected to take control of this situation. Today, we suffer because the international community has failed to stop Israel’s war crimes.”
Speaking about the assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, the envoy said, “You can see the implications of his assassination. You can see the consequences. The war is still going on. Israel’s attacks are also killing civilians in Lebanon. “Hundreds of civilians have been killed.” Killed till now. In reality this is terrorism. If what Israel is doing is not terrorism, then what is.”
‘The people are Hezbollah’
Israel has been saying that Hezbollah militants are taking shelter in civilian areas, living and hiding in residential colonies and even hiding their weapons, arms and ammunition under civilian buildings.
However, the envoy rejected these claims by Israel as “pure lies”. He said, “Israel’s entire journey is built on lies. Their entire story is a lie and these claims are lies.” The areas targeted by Israel are entirely civilian areas and there were no military installations there.”
He further said, “As far as the Hezbollah members living there, the people are Hezbollah. Hezbollah is not an imaginary organization. It is made up of Lebanese people who are protesting the occupation. So, yes. “The people are there. It could be Hezbollah or some other group, but just because it’s justified to kill their entire families and their children.”
“As far as weapons are concerned, I don’t know where they hide them,” he said.
price of doomsday
The Holocaust was the systematic state-sponsored murder of six million Jewish men, women, and children and several million others by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945 during World War II.
Recognizing the suffering of the Jewish people, the ambassador said, “Of course, we do not deny that the Jewish people suffered from the Holocaust and genocide, but at whose hand? Was it at the hands of the Arabs, or the Lebanese “By the hands of the people.” , Or was it at the hands of Europeans? So tell me, why should the people of Lebanon or Palestine pay the price for crimes committed against Jews by other peoples.”
two-state solution
Lebanon does not want war, the ambassador told NDTV. “A military solution cannot be achieved. We have sought a political and a diplomatic solution. We have agreed that the only solution is a two-state solution. A State of Israel and a State of Palestine, each has defined territory and sovereignty rights. But the only one who opposes this solution is Israel.”
He said, “It seems that Israel is above international law and the international community. The West always treats it like a spoiled child. This must end. Netanyahu’s crazy campaign must end, his criminal agenda must end.” So, yes, we can move towards peace only when the UN resolution for the two-state policy is implemented and Palestine is given due recognition as a country.”
Another Israeli ‘limited offensive’ – how it’s different
Speaking about “limited aggression” by Israel this time – as it did in 1982 and 2006 – the ambassador said, “It is the same, nothing will change. This is the war mentality that Israel has always had.” “
He further stated that “The entire foundation of Israel is based on lies… and what makes it dangerous is that they justify their actions and agenda based on religious principles. ‘The Promised Land’, ‘The Chosen People’. It is very dangerous when one bases one’s entire strategy on a distorted religious principle.”
The ambassador said, “Israel today has occupied areas of the Palestinian West Bank, they have occupied the Gaza Strip, they have occupied the Golan Heights in Syria and have also occupied land in Lebanon. It It’s very clear who the attacker is.”
On Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel, the envoy told NDTV that “What Iran does is up to them. How I see it is that Israel has no friends left in the region. They are aggressive. Whether it “Whether it’s Iran or Iraq or Yemen, or Lebanon – Israel doesn’t have good relations with anyone around.”