Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said President Michel Sleiman had “done well” by rejecting France’s suggestion that Lebanon should talk with Israel, “since we have nothing to discuss.”

During a Hezbollah ceremony on Friday, Qassem said Israel had to withdraw from the occupied territories, and that the Resistance helped Lebanon restore its position.

Lebanon had been described as a “terrorist” organization by some international, regional and local leaders who intended to portray it in this light to the media Qassem said, but added that everybody’s “dream” was to imitate the Resistance.

He said European and non-European countries were stretching out their hands to Hezbollah and were trying to build relations with it. Qassem attributed the development in its international relations to the Resistance’s existence, popularity and “great victories.”

Qassem hailed the Lebanese Armed Forces new demarcation of borders with Israel, and urged it to take further steps “until we reach the international borders we want. We do not want the illusory Blue Line.”

“We will never disperse a single inch of our borders for a hundred years to come,” he said.

Qassem said that the parliament’s approval of the proposal to lower the voting age to 18 was a victory for Hezbollah and all those who called for it, and said he hoped the cabinet would adopt it.

Qassem said the upcoming parliamentary elections were important, but would not affect Lebanon’s stance, adding it “would only change the position of some forces….but political affiliations were firm and were what would affect the political decision.”

-NOW Staff