Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem saluted American pro-Gaza protesters in a May 3, 2024 interview with Al-Manar TV [Hizbullah-Lebanon]. He said that Hizbullah appreciates and values them very much, and that the protests will have a great impact on the U.S. elections and will influence President Biden's policies. He also said that this might impact the extent of the support America provides for Israel, which in turn can bring upon the destruction of Israel without much effort on the part of Hizbullah.
To view the clip of Hizbullah Deputy Sec.-Gen. Naim Qassem, click here or below:
In an April 22, 2024 op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, MEMRI Executive Director Steven Stalinsky wrote about Hizbullah, Hamas, and Houthi support for the student protests in the U.S. and the West (click here to read it).
To read MEMRI Executive Director Stalinsky's April 22, 2024 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Who's Behind The Anti-Israel Protests," click here.
Below is the transcript of the MEMRI TV clip of Naim Qassem's statements.
"The Israelis And Americans Have Laid The Foundation For The Perpetual Resistance Of Children And Fetuses, [Starting] At An Earlier Age"
Naim Qassem: "The Israelis and the Americans will discover that with this type of aggression, they have laid the foundation for perpetual resistance of children and fetuses, at an earlier age than the age fighters became qualified in the past. In the past, they started to think of joining the fray once coming of age, but now they are determined to enter the battlefield as soon as they are born, having seen their parents being killed, the genocide perpetrated by Israel, and the global crimes committed by America against them.
[...]
"The [Campus Protests] Are Important, Especially Because They Will Have An Impact On U.S. Elections"
"The Americans – especially Biden – are under great pressure. Biden is under internal and external pressure because of his policy and approach. The pressure within America is more significant. He is at risk of losing the elections because of Gaza.
[...]
"When we say America is an oppressor, that America must be stopped, that America is hypocritical, and so on and so forth – we mean the American administration. We are saying 'America' for short. We cannot keep saying the 'American administration' all the time. No. We say 'America' and we mean the American administration.
"As for the American people, I judge them according to their actions. When the American people take a stand in support of Gaza – or rather, those among them who take a stand in support of Gaza – we salute and applaud them, and we believe that they are standing for justice against the occupation.
"We appreciate and value this very much. Perhaps in the future, there will be cooperation among the youth of the world – in America, France, Britain, Germany, and all the activists. The [campus protests] are important, especially because they will have an impact on the U.S. elections. They will have an impact on the American position. Even if Biden says that he will not be influenced by this, he will whether he likes it or not. We will see him taking actions because of the protesters' influence on him.
"Without [U.S.] Support, Israel Is Nothing; We Will Not Have To Work Hard To Destroy It"
"As long as the Muslims, the Arabs, and the free people cannot form a lobby that will be stronger than the Zionist lobby, this 'popular lobby' can play a role in changing the point of view and this is more important than the [political] lobby above. Where do the members of Congress come from? From among the people. If the people's perspective changes... There were never such level [of protests] in America... This would mean embarking on a new stage, and maybe one of these days, America will no longer support Israel to such an extent. Without support, Israel is nothing. We would not have to work hard in order to destroy Israel. Without support, it will be destroyed."
