BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem Sunday blamed Israel and its allies for the region’s crises, claiming that Western states supported terrorism in the region.
In remarks following a meeting with a delegation of a western campaign called Peace and Solidarity with Syria and Lebanon, Qassem said that Western states support "terrorist groups" in Syria for the benefit of Israel, claiming that Qatar and Saudi funds and Turkish facilities were behind the growth of extremism in Syria.
“If it were not for the West, we would not have seen the establishment of the state in Mosul and Raqqa,” he said, referring to ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria where they claimed an 'Islamic emirate' earlier this year.
He said that the U.S.-led coalition has had no effect on ISIS "while Russia’s strikes resulted in heavy losses," which he considers "proof that the West is with ISIS.”
Qassem reiterated Hezbollah’s support for Syria, saying that the country remains resilient despite nearly five years of war there.
“We hope that in the future the people can speak up – and not the corrupt regional states and the West which conspires and Israel the attacker... Syria is for its people,” he said, vowing that Hezbollah will continue to fight Israeli aggression, without directly naming it.
Qassem thanked the campaign for its support and solidarity, calling on people in Western countries to pressure their governments and politicians into changing their foreign policies toward the Middle East.
Patrick Abboud