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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. (AP)
Last update - 08:11 25/03/2008
Nasrallah: The Zionist entity can be wiped out of existence
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hassan Nasrallah, Israel 

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday told tens of thousands of supporters in Beirut that Israel could be eliminated and that the prowess of its army had been exaggerated by "Zionist-American propaganda."

"The Zionist entity can be wiped out of existence," Nasrallah said in his address via video link, referring to Israel. "Our nation is stronger now than ever before," he added.

Nasrallah's speech was broadcast live at a rally marking the end of the 40-day mourning period for slain Hezbollah military chief Imad Mughniyah, who was assassinated in a car bombing in Damascus last month.
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The Lebanon-based guerilla group Hezbollah has repeatedly blamed Israel for the assassination of the group's second in command, but Israel has categorically denied any involvement.

Nasrallah also addressed the negotiations over the release of the Israel Defense Forces soldiers held by Hezbollah, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, and confirmed the report in Haaretz Monday that the talks were continuing.

"Although the Israelis have killed the pillar of the resistance, we did not halt the negotiations on a prisoner exchange," he said, disclosing that meetings were recently held with United Nations mediators.

"We will not stop the negotiations ... because we want to achieve one of the aspirations of martyr Imad Mughniyah, that is, to see our prisoner brothers free among their parents and loved ones," Nasrallah said.

In addition to the two Israeli soldiers whose capture by Hezbollah in July 2006 triggered a summer war between Israel and Hezbollah, Nasrallah said in January his group had the remains of other soldiers killed in the fighting.

There are believed to be seven Lebanese prisoners in Israeli custody.

The Hezbollah leader also criticized what he called joint American and Israeli efforts to distort the truth through the media, saying "Zionist-American propaganda is aiming to harm our nation's consciousness. They, using their violent system, are trying to tell us that we are weak and powerless. They want to tell us that we don't have any hopes of winning."

He argued that the victories presented by the Israeli military are blown out of proportion by this propaganda machine, that has been operating for 60 years (since the establishment of the state of Israel.) "The media has aggrandized this army and the Israeli soldier, officer and general," he said.

Nasrallah stressed repeatedly the fact the Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 was a tremendous victory for his organization, both on military and psychological terms.

"There is a military political victory termed the withdrawal of the occupation army from southern Lebanon, but there is also an ideological victory in the battle of consciousness," he said.

However, he went on, in the summer of 2006 a powerful new answer became apparent. "In the July war we were attacked by the [Israeli] army and the resistance withstood the great attack, breaking and shattering the army. We found and we saw the true picture of Israel and its leaders, generals, officers, soldiers and the Israeli tank... the nation that isn't facing bombings and banishment, lived in bomb shelters for 33 days. Could Israel be wiped out of existence? Yes, and a thousand times yes."

Nasrallah said that the battle being waged by Israel make use not only of science and logic, but also of murder and terror. "You are being told that the entire world has abandoned you, your women and your children," he told his supporters.

"The world remained silent when you were massacred in Qana and in Gaza," he said, referring to the deaths of over 50 Lebanese civilians in a single Israel Air Force strike during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and the hundreds of Palestinians who have been killed in Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip.

"The battle's end is nowhere on the horizon because Israel is smart and cannot be defeated," Nasrallah continued. "However," he added, "we too have waged a war of consciousness with the Zionists, both in our defensive and offensive actions. Today, your sons and Imad Mughniyah and Jihad, who fight in Palestine and Lebanon, are creating a new Zionist consciousness.

Nasrallah also renewed his vow to retaliate for the death of Mughniyah. "The one who killed our commander must be punished. The killers must be punished and they will be punished, God willing," Nasrallah said, drawing cheers from the crowd. "We will choose the time, place and manner of punishment."

Israel has declared a heightened security alert, fearing Hezbollah guerrillas may try to carry out a major attack to avenge Mughniyah's death. The security alert coincided with the end of the 40-day mourning period for Mughniyah.

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      1.   refreshing, isnt it 18:03  |  SHIMON 24/03/08
      2.   Via video, thnx to infidels` technicians and Israel 18:03  |  civilized Kid 24/03/08
      3.   Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says all of tis while hiding 18:08  |  Shepherd 24/03/08
      4.   dare to show your face 18:13  |  Josh 24/03/08
      5.   THE MURDEROUS SECT OF AL-LAT 18:13  |  Iskander 24/03/08
      6.   Another Haman? 18:14  |  Gene 24/03/08
      7.   LIKE EVERY MAN-MADE IDEOLOGIES 18:14  |  indrajaya 24/03/08
      8.   #2 civilized Kid 18:15  |  joe 24/03/08
      9.   Nassrallah 18:21  |  ChanahS 24/03/08
      10.   Shimon I`am sure and 18:25  |  Aby 24/03/08
      11.   Irony much? 18:33  |  Jeremy 24/03/08
      12.   Stuffing Nasrallah`s big Iranian mouth. 18:39  |  Fortuna Benmayor 24/03/08
      13.   Nasrallah, you`re just an overweight pig! 18:39  |  Dov 24/03/08
      14.   Indrajaya 18:41  |  Brad 24/03/08
      15.   great, now come out of a cave and show your face 18:41  |  Igor D. 24/03/08
      16.   Nasralla as an example of Arab`s stupidness 18:44  |  Victor 24/03/08
      17.   Thank You Naziralla 18:45  |  ERSB 24/03/08
      18.   @Leba-joe in #8, who can`t honor his dead Lebanestinians 18:45  |  civilized Kid 24/03/08
      19.   Israel should have killed Nasrallah at the rally 18:47  |  brant 24/03/08
      20.   Our Nation?? 18:47  |  Bill Foonman 24/03/08
      21.   "The New Zionist Consciouness" 18:48  |  Jeff Northridge 24/03/08
      22.   Fat Duck and the video show. 18:52  |  Stephen. 24/03/08
      23.   Reply to everyone 18:52  |  Ali 24/03/08
      24.   The ball is in Ehud Barak`s court. 18:53  |  Fortuna Benmayor 24/03/08
      25.   Nasrallah 18:58  |  Edifice 24/03/08
      26.   joe #8 19:08  |  chris 24/03/08
      27.   Persistence and Zeal 19:09  |  Brian 24/03/08
      28.   Lets just wait for the Arabs and Terror-supporters on here to... 19:09  |  jj 24/03/08
      29.   LIKE ANY FAKE PROPHET MADE EVIL, RATS IN JAKARTA WILL DISAPPEAR 19:11  |  Genuine Tosefta 24/03/08
      30.   Ali, 19 19:41  |  Jozef 24/03/08
      31.   #19 Ali 19:42  |  Mr Ipp 24/03/08
      32.   To Ali and the others 19:46  |  Imad M 24/03/08
      33.   #26 Imad M - clearly you didn`t read the article 20:03  |  Adrian de Klerk 24/03/08
      34.   What is Nasrallah`s "nation"? Not Lebanon, that`s for sure 20:05  |  Joe Sittizen 24/03/08
      35.   He is right, he just lives underground to be cool 20:11  |  Ilan 24/03/08
      36.   and `ehud olmert` will make sure it happens 20:11  |  chaim 24/03/08
      37.   Nasal-rallah Rallying his Existence 20:14  |  Zev 24/03/08
      38.   Nasy tell us what happens when the dog catches the car he chases 20:25  |  Alan 24/03/08
      39.   To Joe 20:37  |  Oleg 24/03/08
      40.   Nasrallah: If Israel is so weak..... 20:38  |  R 24/03/08
      41.   Israel is on the way to oblivious 20:39  |  Mike 24/03/08
      42.   TO NO 15. IGOR. 20:40  |  DANNY 24/03/08
      43.   Nasrallahs short term memory 20:41  |  joki 24/03/08
      44.   He says this as 40,000 followers still live in tents 20:47  |  SLAVO 24/03/08
      45.   Priceless - these islamist parrots - why are they so nervous? 21:12  |  Johnny 24/03/08
      46.   What a lousy folk they are the lebanese 21:18  |  Erdogan 24/03/08
      47.   Nasallah talks through his nose 21:23  |  jewish doctor 24/03/08
      48.   no joe,# 8 you wern`t the losers,just 1200 killed and your 21:24  |  terrornator 24/03/08
      49.   Learn how to speak English, Mike 41 21:27  |  Stephen in New York 24/03/08
      50.   Mike, you retard . . . get your facts straight 21:27  |  Beirut Boy 24/03/08
      51.   To Imad and Ali #32, 19 21:29  |  William 24/03/08
      52.   I don`t get it. It can be wiped out but not defeated? 21:30  |  McQueen 24/03/08
      53.   # 34, Joe 21:36  |  Ali 24/03/08
      54.   "Brant" #19 from NYC 21:37  |  Brant 24/03/08
      55.   NASRALLAH CALLS ISRAEL PAPER TIGER 21:37  |  BigBadJohn 24/03/08
      56.   the more he barks, the weaker he is 21:39  |  jj 24/03/08
      57.   LIVE! VIA SATELLITE FROM HIS HIDDEN BUNKER/CAVE 21:39  |  James 24/03/08
      58.   ALI ALI ALI 21:41  |  Israeli 24/03/08
      59.   joki #43 21:42  |  Ali 24/03/08
      60.   He needs another dose of the medicine 21:43  |  arun 24/03/08
      61.   dont know what your reading Imad M, but 21:43  |  jj 24/03/08
      62.   Nasrallah is inviting the further devastation of Lebanon 21:43  |  Maki 24/03/08
      63.   indrajaya 21:45  |  Michael 24/03/08
      64.   Nasrallah has a point 21:52  |  Jewboy 24/03/08
      65.   The gathering storm 21:53  |  Tosefta 24/03/08
      66.   Crime and punishment 21:53  |  Morris Valentine 24/03/08
      67.   Dear Mr. Ali 22:04  |  Victor 24/03/08
      68.   Victor from Haifa and Joe from Lebanon 22:20  |  utagawa 24/03/08
      69.   William #46 22:29  |  Ali 24/03/08