Hizbullah has the right to acquire air-defence weapons and to use them against Israeli warplanes that violate Lebanese air space on a daily basis, the leader of the Iranian-backed movement said on Monday.
"Every few days there is (an Israeli media) report that the resistance has obtained advanced air-defence weapons, of course I don't deny or confirm this," Hassan Nasrallah told a rally to mark the first anniversary of the assassination of the group's military commander Imad Moughniyeh. "What I want to confirm today is that we have every right to obtain any weapon, including air-defence weapons, and we have every right to use this weapon," he said.
According to Reuters, Nasrallah said obtaining such a system would tip the balance in any conflict with Israel because the Jewish state relies heavily on air supremacy in its military planning.
Nasrallah reiterated that he stands by a vow to avenge the Feb. 12, 2008 killing of Moughniyeh in Damascus. "This promise will be fulfilled, God willing...," he said, adding that he would say no more on the matter.
The Shiite leader said that the right-wing victory in the recently Israeli elections correctly reflects its image. However, he emphasized that there was no difference between Labor, Likud, and Kadima regarding their attitudes towards Palestinians and Arabs, stressing that all Zionist parties were the same.
However, Nasrallah called on everyone not to worry a lot due to the results of the Israeli elections. "All the Israeli leaders who threaten us were defeated in Lebanon," he recalled. "However, Israel is not as mighty as it used to be and the resistance is not as weak as it used to be," Nasrallah emphasized. He also pointed out that, among the Israeli leaders who took part in the recent elections, Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman is "the only one who has yet to lose in Lebanon."
