Israel wants to take control of the Middle East and drag the region into war, Hizbullah spiritual leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Friday evening. Nasrallah spoke in honor of Al-Quds Day, celebrated on the last Friday of the Ramadan fast, on which Muslims worldwide express support for the Palestinians and the importance of Jerusalem to Islam. "Israel is an entity that steals other's land," Nasrallah said in his speech, which was broadcast on giant screens in the Hizbullah-controlled areas of southern Beirut.
The Hizbullah leader also criticized Arab nations for failing to help the Palestinians and said he hoped they would use military force against Israel. Nasrallah also called the "Palestinian 'occupation' one of the [world's] biggest disasters."
"The Zionists arrived and established gangs. Supported by the British and many [other] nations, they moved onto Palestinian land. Their country is based on occupation, murder, and theft," Nasrallah said.
The Hizbullah leader also has words about Israel's September 6 air strike on an unidentified Syrian facility. "Israel talks about peace but is preparing for war. The purpose of Israel's entry into Syria was to damage Syria's position ahead of the [US-sponsored Middle East parley] in November," Nasrallah declared. "[US President George W.] Bush's plan is war, not peace, as in Iraq and Lebanon," he added.