Full speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naïm Qassem, March 27, 2023, on the occasion of International Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day

Source: Al-Manar

Translation: resistancenews.org

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the noblest of all creation, our master, beloved, and guide, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, upon his pure and virtuous family, his noble and chosen companions, and upon all the prophets and the righteous until the Day of Judgment. May God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.

[A day of solidarity with all the oppressed]

Today is International Al-Quds Day. This speech is delivered on the occasion of this great commemoration instituted by Imam Khomeini—may God sanctify his soul—46 years ago, in 1979, when he declared that the last Friday of the blessed month of Ramadan would be the Day of Al-Quds. He said then:

“Al-Quds Day is an international day that is not limited to Al-Quds alone, but marks the confrontation of the oppressed against the arrogant, of peoples crushed by oppression—US or otherwise—of the great powers.”

This day is therefore one of solidarity with occupied Al-Quds and with all the oppressed of the world who resist tyrants, occupiers, conspirators, and despots seeking to enslave nations. This day encompasses the entire planet, but its heart remains occupied Palestine.

Our Imam Khamenei—may God preserve him—has declared:

“The Palestinian question, for us in the Islamic Republic, is neither a tactic nor even a political strategy; it is a doctrinal issue, rooted in our hearts and our faith.”

This illustrates the depth of the Al-Quds cause and of Al-Quds Day. It is essential to grasp the impact of this day on the history of our region and the transformations that have occurred over the past 46 years. Compare 1979—before this day was proclaimed—with today, in 2025: many changes have taken place in favor of Liberation.

Iran back then was that of the Shah—a major ally of Israel, the policeman of the Middle East, and a bogeyman for the peoples—working hand in hand with the Zionist entity. Today, Israel’s embassy (in Iran) has become the embassy of Palestine, and this great regional power has ceased all support for the enemy. The Resistance emerged and was supported by all possible means, until these transformations became an undeniable reality.

[A deeply rooted Palestinian resistance]

Today we are witnessing a Palestinian resistance deeply rooted in its people—an armed resistance aspiring to Liberation, from the river to the sea. While it existed in some form since the occupation began, it has undergone major development, profound changes, and growing support that have propelled it forward—culminating in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which returned the Palestinian cause to the center of global attention after it had been sidelined.

In Lebanon, we have become a major force of resistance against the Israeli enemy. Yemen has asserted itself as a significant asset in the struggle against the Zionist entity. In Iraq, a strategic capacity has developed in the face of American and Israeli arrogance.

These peoples of the region, in addition to the resistance movements and the global popular support for the Palestinian cause—whether political, media-related, cultural, or financial—embody a profound shift in favor of the Palestinian cause. This upheaval is irreversible, and we are now facing a decisive transformation whose repercussions will inevitably be felt.

[Israel is an expansionist cancerous tumor]

Secondly, Israel is an expansionist cancerous tumor—an instrument of US arrogance. For 75 years, it has continued to expand, both inside and outside of Palestine, pursuing its expansionist objectives. And wherever it retreats, it does so only under pressure—in the face of resistance and rejection. Even the settlements in the West Bank have steadily gnawed away at the land, as Israel seeks total control. For this Israeli entity, there is no such thing as “1967 territories”—not even “Palestine.”

All those martyrs who gave their lives—more than 51,000 men, women and children, resistance fighters, mujahideen, and members of the Palestinian people, alongside the wounded and the prisoners—endured every torture to put an end to this Israeli entity. The Palestinian people are invincible because they hold a legitimate right. And in the Book of Almighty God, it is promised (to the transgressing Jews): “And when the last promise comes to pass, [your enemies] will darken your faces, enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and utterly destroy all that they conquered.” (Qur’an, Surah 17, verse 7)

We are certain that, in the end, victory will belong to the Palestinian people, the rightful owners of this land.

[Our interest: to liberate and protect Palestine and Lebanon.]

Thirdly, what is our position as Hezbollah? We believe that the Palestinian cause is just, and four principles underpin our adherence to this right and this cause:

  1. (The Liberation of the Holy Places) We believe in the Liberation of the Holy Places, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the first of the two qiblas and the third of the holy mosques: “Glory be to Him who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (Qur’an, Surah 17, verse 1)
  2. (The Defense of Rights) This people has a right, and we must stand by it. When the world is divided between faith and impiety, truth and falsehood, we must stand on the side of truth.
  3. (Obedience to the Legitimate Authority of Our Leadership) We abide by the religious directives of our guide, Imam Khamenei, which are in line with the legacy of Imam Khomeini. This religious duty transcends borders, geography, and all other considerations. It is an act of faith, conviction, and unwavering commitment.
  4. (Our Strategic Interest) We believe that supporting the oppressed in the region and the Palestinian cause benefits not only Palestine but also Lebanon and the entire region. It is therefore both a matter of principle and of interest.

That is why we state clearly: we remain faithful to our pledge, O Al-Quds, regardless of the hardships, sacrifices, or complications. We believe in our duty to contribute to the Liberation of Palestine, and in our interest in liberating and protecting Lebanon during this critical historical period. We combine faith and interest.

Hezbollah has given decisive support to occupied Palestine, to the Palestinian people, and to Gaza. This support culminated in the martyrdom of the Master of Martyrs of the Ummah (the Muslim community), Sayed Hassan Nasrallah—may God Most High be pleased with him—as a genuine and unwavering testimony of our commitment to Palestine and to Al-Quds. It is important to understand that Lebanon is on the list of territories coveted by the Zionist entity, at least in the southern part of the country, both in terms of land appropriation and colonization.

We have already experienced this threat after 1982 with the group of Saad Haddad and Antoine Lahad, who created an area called “Free South Lebanon” with the aim of separating it from Lebanon and integrating it into the Israeli entity. That experience is clear evidence of Israel’s direct intentions, and that goal still stands. Israel seeks to occupy and seize land. The recent visits by Israeli officials to the so-called (mausoleum of the) “righteous” in Houla and Shamaa are further signs of this expansionist ambition.

Why did Israel only withdraw from Lebanon in 1982 after 18 years—and only because of armed resistance—despite international resolutions and pressure? Because it wanted to maintain its occupation and manipulate Lebanon’s future to turn it into a land of colonization, as part of its plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries.

Our position is clear: Israel is an expansionist enemy that knows no bounds and will always violate borders. Our resistance is a defensive reaction and a legitimate right. And this resistance must continue. Certainly, resistance cannot prevent Israeli aggression, but it can confront it and prevent it from achieving its goals. And that is exactly what has happened.

Some ask: if the goal of the resistance is to overthrow the enemy, how do you explain the fact that it has sometimes occupied new territories? We reply: do you think the power gap between us and the enemy has no effect? Of course it does. But the real question is this: has the enemy achieved its objectives thanks to its power, which is incomparably greater than that of the resistance? The answer is no: Israel has failed to achieve its objectives (despite its military supremacy). And that, for us, is victory: the persistence of the resistance, and Israel’s inability to accomplish its objectives. This is a crucial point: we have prevented it from realizing its objectives. And over time—battle after battle, confrontation after confrontation—the persistence of the resistance will eventually bring an end to this occupation, by the grace of God.

Resistance consists of sacrifices that pave the way to a great outcome. And God Almighty has promised us, by His grace: “But the Messenger and those who believe with him strive with their wealth and their lives. It is they who shall have the finest rewards, and it is they who shall succeed.” (Qur’an, 9:88)

[The enemy’s objectives and the responsibility of the Lebanese state]

Consider clearly the enemy’s objectives. The enemy is pursuing three major goals in the region, and particularly in Lebanon:

  • Expansion

  • Elimination of the resistance

  • Control over Lebanon’s future

All of this falls within a logic of aggression and brutality, with the backing of the American tyrannical regime. We have confronted these objectives. We succeeded in stopping Israel within certain bounds. We prevented it from advancing past the borders for a time during the Battle of the Mighty Ones. We achieved a ceasefire through the Lebanese state. This means there was a force capable of blocking Israel from reaching its objectives—so much so that it was compelled to accept a ceasefire agreement, which we validated with the Lebanese state.

Since the conclusion of this indirect ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese state, full responsibility has rested with it. It is the responsibility of the Lebanese state to end the occupation. It is its responsibility to halt the aggression. It is its responsibility to put pressure on the major powers who guarantee the agreement. It is its responsibility to seek appropriate means to bring an end to the occupation. It is its responsibility to move beyond the strictly diplomatic framework if necessary to confront the occupation. All of this now falls to the Lebanese state.

We, as Hezbollah, have fully respected the agreement. We have maintained no armed presence south of the Litani River. Yet Israel has not completely withdrawn from Lebanese territory and continues to occupy certain positions. It violates the agreement and carries out daily aggressions against individuals, property, and entire regions—whether in the South, the Bekaa, or elsewhere in Lebanon. For a while, these actions were described as “violations,” but they soon escalated into full-scale aggression on all levels.

All of Israel’s justifications are baseless, and the conditions it cites to justify its aggression are unfounded. An agreement exists—then let it be implemented in full (by Israel), as Lebanon has done. The whole world can bear witness that Lebanon and its resistance have respected the agreement, but Israel refuses to comply. Today, they claim they want to pursue political avenues. We categorically reject all forms of normalization, as well as these political channels through which Israel seeks to secure gains beyond the terms of the agreement—to obtain through peace what it could not conquer through war. This is unacceptable.

Thank God, the pillars of the Lebanese state—the three presidents—stand firmly opposed to this attempt at normalization.

[How will Hezbollah respond?]

Israel is currently acting in an aggressive posture, and this aggression must be stopped. It has crossed the red line by bombing the southern suburbs of Beirut for the first time since the ceasefire. It has also attacked several regions in southern Lebanon, causing martyrs, injuries, and significant damage to infrastructure. We cannot allow this to continue.

If Israel believes it can impose a new equation by invoking spurious justifications for killing, for entering here and there, and for attacking the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa, and the South, it is mistaken. The Lebanese state must respond. There is still time for a political and diplomatic resolution, but we will not allow an equation in which Israel can flout Lebanon’s sovereignty at will and without consequence. Everything has a limit. Everything has its precise framework. Do not scorn our declarations! Know that our resistance is ever-present. We have respected the agreement and committed ourselves to this framework. But if Israel refuses to abide by it, and if the Lebanese state fails to achieve the expected results at the political level, then we will have no choice but to turn to other options that do not conform to the current situation, and that will thwart the equations Israel seeks to impose.

Israel must understand that it cannot achieve its objectives through pressure—neither by maintaining its occupation of the five points, nor by continuing its repeated aggressions, nor by committing crimes. This is absolutely impossible. With the presence of the resistance, it is impossible. With this (Lebanese) people, it is impossible. With this significant internal cohesion, it is impossible.

We will not allow anyone to deprive us of our lives, our land, our dignity, our pride, and our patriotism. Under no circumstances will we allow it. We will not allow anyone to strip us of our strength or our capacity to confront this enemy. Experience has proven it—just look at the results. We are not weak in the face of the schemes of the United States and Israel. If we have shown patience until now, it is because we wanted to give a chance to solutions that might lessen suffering and human loss. But if we reach a point where Israeli aggression becomes killing, destruction, and occupation, will we remain idle? It is impossible for us to stand idly by. Leaders must understand that everything has a limit, and that this limit may be reached at any moment. Seize the opportunity you now have to intensify pressure, for Israel is clearly exposed and is carrying out criminal acts that we cannot tolerate.

[An exceptional people]

Israel is facing an exceptional people. The whole world has seen the greatness of our people. It has seen the greatness of the Palestinian people, the greatness of the Lebanese people, and the greatness of this resistance. When a mother who has lost four martyred sons stands tall with determination and strength, expressing her readiness to give even more… When a mother travels south in search of traces of her son, and her heart lights up upon finding mere remnants of his presence—what a vast heart she has! And at the same time, she proclaims her readiness to sacrifice even more, proud of her son, of his sacrifices, of the abilities he demonstrated, and ready to give still more. This people who stand, bare-chested, to face (the Israeli army in southern Lebanon). This veiled woman in her abaya who stood in front of Israeli tanks. This crowd of over a million people, greater than all the crowds in the world, at the funerals of the two venerable Sayeds (Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safi al-Dine). A crowd that expresses morale, strength, and readiness. It is not merely a crowd offering condolences—it is a crowd of loyalty, whose cry was: “We are true to our pledge.”

Do you know that in recent weeks I have received several letters from brother mujahideen saying: “We are ready for any martyrdom operation and we ask for permission.” I replied, “Be patient—you are already in the heart of a martyrdom operation.” Today’s confrontation, and what the youth are accomplishing, is immense. I have even heard some say: “We fought for sixty-four days in the Battle of the Mighty Ones; our comrades fell as martyrs, but we did not.” They are frustrated not to have found martyrdom. Why? Is it because they do not love life? On the contrary, they love life—but they refuse to let it end anywhere but on the battlefield. These men have a vision of martyrdom. But I want to say to them: look closely at this noble verse: “Surely God has purchased from the believers their souls and their wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight in the path of God: they kill and are killed.” (Qur’an, 9:111) So it is not only by being killed that one attains an exalted place in Paradise, but also by fighting. Simply participating in the battle, merely being present—even without being killed—places you among these martyrs and at their rank, for you are a mujahid on the front line.

Such are our people. Who can defeat them? Who can stand against them? The Prophet (may God’s prayer and peace be upon him and his family) was speaking with his companions and said of them: “After you, a time of patience will come, in which the one who holds fast will receive the reward of fifty martyrs.” His companions asked: “O Messenger of God! Fifty martyrs of our time, or theirs?” He replied: “Fifty martyrs like you.” This means the value of those present today is immense.

[Hezbollah’s Political Role]

I will conclude with a point concerning Hezbollah’s position within Lebanon. Hezbollah and Amal have achieved a major breakthrough by electing a consensus president, completing the formation of the Lebanese government, and granting it confidence, all while continuing to build the state. We are an integral part of this partnership and this construction.

I would like to remind you that on November 20, 2024, six days before the ceasefire, I said in one of my speeches—and some were surprised—“Secondly, we will actively contribute to the election of a President of the Republic through Parliament, in accordance with constitutional mechanisms. Thirdly, our political actions and state affairs will take place within the framework of the Taif Agreement, in cooperation with the political forces.” At the time, some wondered why we were speaking of this in the midst of war, without knowing what would follow, whether we would survive or not. At the time, we said: “We are the Resistance, and at the same time, we are the builders of the State.” Even at the height of the Resistance, we remain partners in the building of the State—and everyone must know this. Lebanon can only recover through the joint efforts of all components of its people. Let no one try to obstruct this process by isolating, attacking, or antagonizing any particular component.

For Lebanon to truly stabilize, and for us to build its future, several fundamental steps are necessary:

  • Israel’s withdrawal must be an absolute priority. We must remain united so that Israel withdraws unconditionally, with no discussion of any other issue before this withdrawal.

  • The government must work to ensure that reconstruction begins immediately, without any preconditions. The Lebanese people have the right to see the destruction caused by the Israeli enemy repaired by their State. After so many sacrifices, abandoning this would be unthinkable. Hezbollah will continue to support the State in this mission.

  • The process of recovery and reform must be carried out jointly.

[Conclusion]

Finally, I wish to emphasize a point regarding events on the Lebanese-Syrian border and in Syria, and the crimes committed against Alawites, Christians, and other groups, as some accuse Hezbollah of being involved. Hezbollah has nothing to do with what is happening in Syria, nor with the incidents on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The defense of the borders is the responsibility of the Lebanese army and the State.

I will conclude by saying: Al-Quds Day is a day of honor, a day of support for Palestine, a day of action for its Liberation. Honor and greatness to Palestine and Gaza, to Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and to all the peoples who have stood with them.

May God’s peace and mercy be upon you.

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