In his first major address in several years, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has reiterated the group’s support for the Palestinian conflict against Israel. Nasrallah has said that “eliminating Israel was in the interests of the Mideast region, and the entire Islamic world”. A few hours following Nasrallah’s address at a rally, former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri accused Hezbollah of participating in the Syrian conflict on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hariri has said that the group’s weapons “have been shifted from fighting the Israeli enemy to fighting the Syrian people”. According to news reports, Hariri’s remarks overlap with those of Lebanese President Michel Sleiman who earlier remarked that “Hezbollah’s arsenal should be at the service of the Lebanese state”. 1

• 1. “Hezbollah must disarm, says former Lebanese prime minister”, The Daily Star, August 4, 2013 at http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.539706