To understand the true signifinance of Israel’s loss to Hezbollah in the 2006 Lebanon war, this recent speech by the group’s leader Sayyid Hassan Nassrallah is essential reading:
A lesson has to be internalized from the fact that a 33-day war launched by the most aggressive army in the world and backed by international support was incapable of shaking the resistance, its men, its supporters and its weapons, Moreover, it served to empowered it. The paradox is that here is the vastly more powerful enemy complaining about Hezbollah’s ever growing power. So, a number of annoyed and angry speeches will not change a thing. I say to my angry brothers and to those who make speeches while they are angry, that these noises are useless, both in Lebanon and in the region. The resistance is a deeply-rooted, aware, and rational project that is based on strong and tough fundamentals as well as very deep intellectual, cultural, political, national, psychological and civilized structures. Therefore, such a simple movement will not change the trend of the resistance.