Pro-Hizbullah Lebanese Journalist Rafiq Nasrallah: Jihad Must Start within Palestine, Not across Borders

Lebanese journalist and researcher Rafiq Nasrallah said in a TV interview that "Jihad must take place from within Palestine" and that "the issue of opening the borders cannot be dealt with without a strategy or plan." Speaking on Mayadeen TV on December 11, Nasrallah, Director of the Lebanese International Center for Media and Research, said that although there may be "some surprises" and we might "see something in the northern Golan," right now "we must bank upon the Palestinian people." In a December 9 interview with the Lebanese Al-Jadeed/New TV channel, he mockingly called the Arab League the "Arab Rabbits League," and said that the Egyptian people should conduct an Intifada in front of the Israeli embassy to protest the Jerusalem decision. "We do nothing," he said. "By Allah, even if they occupied Mecca, we wouldn't take action."

Rafiq Nasrallah: "We must take the initiative and be the ones who call the shots, in order to harness Arab awareness and point it at Palestine. Our problem is not with Iran or I-don't-know-whom. If the Palestinian people arises, it will help us, and this requires armed [resistance]. Don’t talk to me about 'peaceful means' or whatnot. We've tried all the peaceful options – before the Oslo Accords and after them. Look where they got us.

[...]

"Jihad must take place from within Palestine. The issue of opening the borders cannot be dealt with without a strategy or plan. Perhaps there will be some surprises from now until March. Perhaps we will see something in the northern Golan. Perhaps something will change. But now we must bank upon the Palestinian people. If they succeed in... If they carry out even a few operations, we will achieve the necessary awakening."

[...]

Host: "We are on the eve of the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers..."

Rafiq Nasrallah: "The 'Arab Rabbits League'..."

Host: "Let's not..."

Rafiq Nasrallah: "It's the 'Arab Rabbits League.' They draw a parallel between resistance and terrorism, and they are humiliated by Israel. Not a single sheikh in the Arab world... I expected the sheikhs of al-Azhar – there are over 10,000 sheikhs affiliated with al-Azhar – to take to the streets of Cairo in their turbans..."

Host: "But the position of Al-Azhar was positive..."

Rafiq Nasrallah: "What, a communique calling for an Intifada of the Palestinian people? How about an Intifada of the Egyptian people in front of the Israeli embassy? At the very least, as Hassan Nasrallah said, they should send a letter of protest to the U.S. ambassador, or declare that they are shutting down the Israeli embassy, until the [Jerusalem] decision is rescinded or suspended. There was absolutely nothing. Even the clerics, the Arab political elite, the intellectuals, some of the mercenary media, some of the artists – they are all collaborators. They keep silent. We do nothing. By Allah, even if they occupied Mecca, we wouldn’t take action. If Mecca is occupied some day we won't do a thing. The Islamic nation has collapsed."