Nasrallah calls for resistance against plan to "destroy" Al-Aksa and church.
By JPOST.COM STAFFhassan nasrallah 311(photo credit: AP)
Israel is planning the desctruction of the Al-Aksa Mosque, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah alleged in an interview with the movement's Al-Manar TV station aired on Wednesday night. Nasrallah stated that while "the Israelis disagree on many things, they are united on two matters: the Jewish state and Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel."Israel, he said, saw Jerusalem as a city "for the Israelis." He added that there was a plan in the works to turn Jerusalem into an exclusively Jewish city by banishing the city's Muslims and Christians.Nasrallah further stated that Israel was planning to destroy religious symbols in Jerusalem, citing as examples the Al-Aksa Mosque and the Church of the Resurrection.The Hizbullah leader urged the Palestinians to "continue to hope andtrust," stating that "important changes" would occur in the nearfuture, leading to a dramatic shift in the Middle East. "There is nofuture for Israel in our region," he told the TV station. "There isonly one option available to us; I urge you to embrace the option ofresistance."Only resistance would save Jerusalem, he continued, addingthat all Palestinian factions - among them Hamas and Fatah – must uniteunder the umbrella of resistance in order to facilitate "genuinereconciliation between them" and "save their country."The term 'resistance' is often used by Hizbullah and other groups to connote terrorism and armed combat against Israel.On the subject of the diplomatic crisis that developed between Israeland the United States following announcements that more Jewishconstruction would take place in Jerusalem, Nasrallah said, "I do notthink there is genuine disagreement between Israel and the US."Congress, the master in Washington, he said, continually supports Israel despite the spats anddisagreements. During his televised speech, he expressed hope that the disputed Jewish residences currently under construction in Jerusalem would one day house the city's "original inhabitants."Nasrallah spoke as Walid Jumblatt – a prominent Lebanese Druze leader and former outspoken critic of Hizbullah and its sponsors, all proponents of resistance – was visiting Damascus in hopes of seeking a historic reconciliation with Syrian President Bashar Assad.On Tuesday, Arab youths held up posters depicting Nasrallah and slain terror mastermind Imad Mughniyeh during a rally marking Land Day in Sakhnin. The move drew criticism from Palestinian officials who had called for a day of Palestinian solidarity free of factionalism.
