Sheikh Naeem Qassem, the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, emphasized at the annual conference organized by the Islamic Gathering of Dentists in Beirut that "we are committed to the Taif Agreement as stated, and we do not propose any amendments, changes, or fanciful ideas, because we need to complete the application of the Taif Agreement that was decided, and we believe in it. When we say we believe in the Taif, everything that comes from it, from the constitution, laws, decrees, and mechanisms of work for the various forces in Lebanon, is considered the measure that governs our relationship with each other, and we are committed to it."
Regarding the election of the president, he stated: "The constitution established a mechanism for electing the president of the republic, where the parliament convenes with two-thirds of its members to elect in the first round with a two-thirds majority and in the second round with a simple majority plus one. This adopted method, according to us, achieves the constitutional entitlement filled with national accord and mutual coexistence while respecting others, and the application of the Taif and the constitution without adding any external meaning to achieve this result. As for the notions that say 'we will see what the Taif says, we will see what the majority says, we will see if coexistence can be determined by the currently adopted mechanism or not...' why complicate things? This constitution exists; please go to the parliament and elect the president. Some accuse us of being the reason because we adhere to a candidate; we respond, do you have a candidate? They say yes, but it’s confidential! They tell us we must concede, but why don't you concede? The one who garnered 51 votes as a cohesive bloc from various blocs has solidified a group that has intersected with no common ground to reach 59? If they want to replicate the experience, it might be less than that; so who is required to concede? We are positive about the matter and have mentioned several times that if they wanted to elect a president today, and if an agreement is reached to go to the parliament to facilitate the election even amidst the existing confrontation in the south, we are ready for that, and we separate what is happening in the south and Gaza from the presidential elections, as evidenced by the fact that we have dissociated many things; the lives of the Lebanese proceed normally despite the war, so we have the capacity in this conviction and we can implement it."
He added: "Some ask how we can go fighting without legitimacy; the Lebanese people do not accept this. We respond that the management of the country is through the cabinet, and if we review the perspective of successive governments on resistance, we see that there have been 19 ministerial statements issued since 1989 until today, which means 19 government formations. All the 19 governments have spoken about the right to resistance, and some governments said we believe in the triad of the army, the people, and the resistance. Some governments modified the text, but the resistance has remained fundamental. If we refer to the last four governments, they had one unchanging text since February 15, 2014, until today, which is 'confirming the right of Lebanese citizens to resist the Israeli occupation, repel its aggressions, and retrieve occupied lands.' This is a clear text in a formal legitimization for popular resistance to repel aggressions and liberate the land and confront occupation. So, to those who say we work contrary to the opinion of the people, we say isn't the people represented through the parliament and didn't the parliament choose its government? Therefore, there is official political governmental cover representing the grassroots through the mechanisms for selecting the government that this resistance is legitimate and covered. If someone does not like this, they can oppose, but they cannot say I am the people and the others are not; yes, you can say they act contrary to your opinion and those with you, but not for all Lebanese. Naturally, these varying opinions are not new to us."
Qassem continued: "When we went to support Gaza, we are convinced that it is impossible to see the so-called free and advanced world from America to Europe alongside the Israeli enemy assembled as one block for injustice, tyranny, and genocide while we watch our brethren in Gaza being killed and do nothing! It is not only the axis of resistance that should gather to defend Gaza; all Arabs should defend Gaza, and all Muslims should defend Gaza, and everyone with a human soul should defend Gaza. The question for those who do not defend is why do you not defend? And not for those who support, why do you support? We are fulfilling our duty convinced, but tell me you humanists, where are you from the global injustice perpetrated by Israel and America alongside part of Europe?! We believe in the necessity of recovering our land; our land cannot be recovered except through resistance within the framework of the triad of the army, the people, and the resistance. Any proposal related to the UN Security Council, the United Nations, and major powers leads to further occupation and greater loss of our land and country. Any liberation that occurred and any victory achieved is due to this triad; without it, liberation would not have happened in 2000 and victory in 2006; all of this is thanks to resistance, popular cohesion, and cooperation with the army. Therefore, we are convinced that this resistance must remain, strengthen, continue, plan, and determine the appropriate timing for any confrontation. Support for us is preemptive defense; support for us is a duty and necessity, and support for us is an integral part of our future in Lebanon and the region. A large part of the operations carried out by Israel that kill our fighters and brothers is due to aerial violations between 2006 and 2013, during which the enemy gathered a large amount of information and violated our privacy and monitored our conditions to prepare for war. So how can we not support, and how can we not remain in the field? Israel is aggressive, commits genocide, and will not satisfy itself with what it is doing; it is our duty and we call on others to fulfill their responsibilities if they have not caught up yet."
