• Published 21:28 18.09.09
  • Latest update 02:45 19.09.09

Hezbollah chief vows never to recognize Israel

Nasrallah says his militants will crush IDF troops if Israel launches another war against Hezbollah.

By The Associated Press Tags: Hezbollah Iran Israel news IDF

The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, vowed on Friday that his Shi'ite militant organization would never recognize Israel and that no Arab state had the right to do so either.

"No one has the right to recognize this entity [Israel] or approve its legitimacy," the black-turbaned Nasrallah said in a televised address to ceremonies marking Quds (Jerusalem) Day, an annual occasion created by Hezbollah's patron Iran to show support for the Palestinians.

Nasrallah's comments came hours after President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, was unable to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians on the terms of renewing peace talks.

Mitchell had urged the Arab world to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel as he pressed Israel to halt construction of settlements in the West Bank.

The Hezbollah leader called Israel an illegitimate cancerous entity that should be eliminated.

"We will not recognize, deal or normalize with Israel even if the whole world recognize it," he added in the speech, which was broadcast through a giant screen from a secret location to thousands of supporters who gathered in the group's stronghold south of Beirut,

Nasrallah repeated his warning to Israel not to launch a war against his group, saying the Israel Defense Forces would be crushed by his guerrillas. Israel and Hezbollah fought the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006, a conflict that devastated much of south Lebanon. Since then, Hezbollah has largely refrained from firing rockets into northern Israel.

In neighboring Syria, some 5,000 people marked Jerusalem Day at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in the capital Damascus.

The head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command Ahmed Jibril told the gathering that the participation in the rally is "a call for liberating Jerusalem."

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  • 26. 0 0
    Hizbulah shocked us in 2006 but it is 2009 RIGHT ???
    • M. S.
    • 20.09.09
    • 06:49

    The world was shocked to see a ill and so poorly prepared Israel IDF lose to Hizbulah in 2006 lose meaning was un able to stop Hizbulah in a total military sense alas as it did Hamas in Gaza early this year 2009 could Hizbulah do it again could Syria do it in 2009 Israel always totaly destroys the military opposition its own ability to wage war never before was it forced to accept a co existance truce could it ever happen again in 2009 as for word recognize that word is for peace party politicians I am a man I talk man talk not P P P talk are the Arabs a man and or a mouse no law against being a mouse though RIGHT ??? Thank You... M. S.

  • 25. 0 0
    # 11 yeah josiah, "oink, oink"
    • eric
    • 19.09.09
    • 20:29

    kinda sounds alot like bibi and the bouncer; doesn't he?

  • 24. 0 0
    Hezbollah
    • Samir
    • 19.09.09
    • 14:53

    Prior to 2006 war Hezbollah did not launch rocket attacks on Israel as is stated in this article.

  • 23. 0 0
    Nasrallah is no excuse
    • Frank
    • 19.09.09
    • 12:33

    Hizbullah is a fruit of the brutal Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Its leaders opinions on Israel stem from that period. Yet they are no excuse for the Israeli government not to obey human and civil rights.

  • 22. 0 0
    Jeff #15: everything will be cool, but goodbye Saudi plan -
    • ivo
    • 19.09.09
    • 11:47

    hi jeff, - this is one of the reasons i have great difficulty in believing in the saudi plan in practice (not that i thought you believed in it). it promises all this overall peace w/the arab world falling from the sky if only israel does all that is expected & demanded. but who's gonna enforce it in lebanon? the syrians? the saudis? the UN? NATO? nobody has an answer or a clue, so the nice plan just remains nice talk unless they can show to a "how". shana tova to you, even if you're not personally a "yid", -

  • 21. 0 0
    the devil in drag
    • spin meister
    • 19.09.09
    • 10:42

    The seperation of church and state didn't originate with America but is a wise recognition of the inherent conflict. Even Jesus said render unto Caesar, while he dwelt in the realm of spirit. So Nasrallah is a walking cautionary tale of what's wrong with a clergyman being a politician: he cultivates, thrives on and embodies hate and all the satanic forces while pretending to be holy.

  • 20. 0 0
    Nasrallah is a baby Ahmadinejad
    • Brad
    • 19.09.09
    • 09:28

    And that's like being a baby of a baby. Too bad, the Lebanese and Pals have to pay the price of his meglamaniacal, egotistical, delusional hatred.

  • 19. 0 0
    Joe-#13-is he really honest?
    • Daniel Leopold
    • 19.09.09
    • 05:50

    ""i strongly believe that if the IDF went into head on confrontation with hizb then the IDF will lose that war, i mean it happened in 06, so why DO YOU ACT SO SURPRISED!!!"" What head on confrontation?Hisb'allah "fighters" shoot first then hide behind their chidren and under their female relatives skirts.Then they call some UN commission to prove that Israel is the agressor What's new and what should we be surprised about?

  • 18. 0 0
    RE: #3
    • Jewchai
    • 19.09.09
    • 05:40

    Wow! Is your sudden Israel advocacy a Rosh Hashana gift?

  • 17. 0 0
    Swiss (Dino) bla bla bla bla
    • David Israel
    • 19.09.09
    • 05:39

    If I was 7 feet tall I would be Michael Jordan.... If the Arabs would stop terrorism, Israel would not have any reason not to make peace with them If Swiss (Dino) had blond hair and measured 36 -26 - 36 inches he would be Marilyn Monroe one can make many of those but would it be true?

  • 16. 0 0
    #3 Swiss...in case you missed the news
    • Lynn
    • 19.09.09
    • 05:33

    Republican Guard has taken over Hezbollah, Nasrallah is just another chump now. He has no more say in anything. They have fanned out all across Lebanon. Syrian army is making their move as well. Do try to keep up. This is not about the Palestinians.

  • 15. 0 0
    Just Stay On Your Side Of The Blue Line, Nasrallah
    • Jeff Northridge
    • 19.09.09
    • 04:38

    And everything will be cool regardless if you personally recognize Israel or not.

  • 14. 0 0
    HEZBOLLAH CHIEF ALSO WISHES ISRAEL A SHONAH TOVAH
    • TRIPP
    • 19.09.09
    • 03:10

    where are all the jew haters now, danny glover, jane fonda,mel gibson,jimmy carter etc. and we're we're supposed to make peace with IRAN AND HEZBOLLAH, GOD HELP US.

  • 13. 0 0
    at least he is honest
    • joe
    • 19.09.09
    • 02:54

    amazing this little country called lebanon has become the biggest throne in israel's side... i strongly believe that if the IDF went into head on confrontation with hizb then the IDF will lose that war, i mean it happened in 06, so why DO YOU ACT SO SURPRISED!!!

  • 12. 0 0
    Who won Lebanon II ?
    • utagawa
    • 19.09.09
    • 02:48

    Big braggart keeps blowing smoke while his henchman cowered during Gaza op!

  • 11. 0 0
    Oink, oink, oink , Same old hogwash from the
    • Josiah J. Ben David
    • 19.09.09
    • 02:29

    same old swine !

  • 10. 0 0
    Israel will outlive all her enemies
    • Arnold
    • 19.09.09
    • 00:59

    Nasrallah will be long time dead and Israel will still be a flourishing "entity" There is no reason for Israel to attack Lebanon. It is Nasrallah and his Hezbollah party that constantly try to incite a war. Shana Tova

  • 9. 0 0
    with arab leaders like him
    • real vision
    • 19.09.09
    • 00:38

    there will never be peace for the arabs nor will there be progress. There will only be hostility and futility of the future. The lebanese need to eliminate this vermin from their soil and from the planet

  • 8. 0 0
    Swiss Dino, the fearful bigot speaks again.
    • flyingdoc57
    • 19.09.09
    • 00:32

    "If Israel withdraws from the West Bank, and all the other Arab states make peace with Israel, Lebanon will have to follow too..." ...Yeah, just like Lebanon "and all the other Arab states" did PRIOR to the West Bank occupation, right? True to form, your statement makes no sense, and unfounded. Your bigotry knows no bounds, does it? Hamas, Hezbollah, Fatah, Ahmedinejad and, indeed, most of the Arab world keep on asserting that they will NEVER accept a Jewish State in the middle east, and all you can do is to stand your ground by saying, in effect, 'They don't really mean it'. P.S. I noticed that your posting didn't have a single parenthesis, quotation mark, question sign. ":)" or "I'm afraid" in it. Are you feeling O.K., Swiss? (.....?????:):):):))

  • 7. 0 0
    THE FAT SHEIK'S SCRIPT
    • Brant
    • 19.09.09
    • 00:09

    ..seems uncannily similar to Ahmadinejad's rant of the day. What a surprise. Still, where is Israel's imagination and creativity vis-a-vis this big bag of still-in-hiding wind? Why not put up a jumbotron screen facing S. Lebanon and doctor an image of him in a ballet tutu or something like that and project that heroic image for all to see. Could call it "divine victory dance" Wouldn't it be nice to repel some of his bravado and bluster every now and then. Anyway, shows you how warm and delightful and religiously tolerant a Shiite Sheik can be in wishing the Jewish people a sweet New Year; doesn't it.

  • 6. 0 0
    Cancer?
    • Eric
    • 19.09.09
    • 00:05

    "The Hezbollah leader called Israel an illegitimate cancerous entity that should be eliminated. " The real cancer is Nasrallah and Hezbollah for the beautiful country of Lebanon! Hezbollah is stopping any progress in Lebanon and will probably take it back to the abyss if not stopped.

  • 5. 0 0
    The coward Nasrallah
    • Steven Kantor
    • 18.09.09
    • 23:37

    Poor Nasrallah. He seems to have forgotten how he hid in a bunker like a coward while real Lebanese died in a war he initiated. He seems to have forgotten how he no longer is allowed to have forces south of the Litani River. It is said that people get the leaders they deserve. If the Lebanese are happy with him, fine. If they aren't, they should rise up and cut off his head.

  • 4. 0 0
    nazrallah: says
    • Jim
    • 18.09.09
    • 23:17

    "... the Israel Defense Forces would be crushed by his guerrillas." Sure! Just like they were crushed the last time ... and the time before that ... etc ... etc ...etc ...

  • 3. 0 0
    Bla, bla, bla, bla, bla.......
    • Swiss (Dino)
    • 18.09.09
    • 22:37

    If Israel withdraws from the West Bank, and all the other Arab states make peace with Israel, Lebanon will have to follow too.... With or without Mr. Nasrallahs approval....

  • 2. 0 0
    Hezbollah chief vows never to recognize Israel
    • Joshua
    • 18.09.09
    • 22:30

    We the Israelis do not give a damm for the recognition by a terrorist.

  • 1. 0 0
    What has changed
    • Jackie
    • 18.09.09
    • 22:01

    He is just stating the position that the Arabs have had since 1947 and even before when they were murdering the Jews that lived in the Palestinian Mandate. So why is this news. Even so-called moderate nations, like Egypt and Jordan, which have peace tgreaties with Israel have restrictions against Jews in their countries.