Saudi, GCC claims about Hezbollah nonsensical: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Wahid Azal, an independent scholar and political commentator, about remarks made by Lebanese Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the strength of the resistance group in dealing with foes.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: How do you feel about Sayyed Nasrallah going so strongly after Saudi Arabia saying essentially its offensive against the movement is futile?

Azal: Well, the Seyyed is absolutely correct about this. I mean for Saudi Arabia to be accusing Hezbollah and the resistance of terrorism is quite rich given the fact that we know of Saudi Arabia’s connections to the various Takfiri groups throughout the region, chiefly among which are ISIS and the other al-Qaeda networks, al-Qaeda itself obviously... so, the question needs to be thrown back at Saudi and the GCC for them to actually define what they mean by a terrorist organization.

And there is enough literature and there is enough critical discussion about what the definition of terrorism entails that they have a lot of explaining to do.

Press TV: It was interesting as well that Sayyed Nasrallah has pointed out that even many of the Arab countries don’t agree in fact with Saudi Arabia and in fact have made that very clear. How do you feel about that?

Azal: That’s true, I mean, because it doesn’t make any sense at all. So, what the Saudi government has been resorting to now is trying to buy the assent of these various Arab or Muslim countries so they will agree with the position that the Saudis are throwing out there, a nonsensical position actually.

Press TV: And of course then, the question always is then who benefits from Saudi Arabia and any Arab country labeling Hezbollah as a terrorist organization?

Azal: Israel, who else? And the United States. Who else benefits from that? I mean this has been ongoing since 2006. I mean let us not forget that Hezbollah defeated the IDF on the ground in 2006, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon.

And since that time the Israelis and the Zionists have gone in overdrive in trying every means at their disposal to disrupt the various relationships that Hezbollah as a legitimate organization and a legitimate political party in Lebanon has been enjoying.

Press TV: And then finally, Sayyed Nasrallah essentially challenged the Saudis, saying that we still have popular support that the ordinary people give their very even minute financially, that’s worth a lot to us and that will never be stopped. Certainly, that’s a defeat for the Saudis and the Israelis, isn’t that?

Azal: It is a defeat, I mean, it’s definitely a moral defeat, but it will not unfortunately stop either the Saudi government or the Israelis from disrupting this relationship, but they still have to answer the question that Hezbollah and the resistance enjoy the popular will of the people in Lebanon and beyond Lebanon itself.

So, but these people don’t really care about popular will, and that is another question.

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