Tuesday, 17 March 2009
No Recognition of Israel
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Updates...
13 March 2009
Hezbollah chief vows to never recognise Israel
Lebanon group "will never recognise Israel's right to exist".
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Friday his movement would never recognise Israel.
Hezbollah leader remains defiant on Israel.
"To those who impose conditions on us, we say: We will never recognise Israel," he said in a speech during celebrations to recognise the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
"We reject the American conditions ... Today, tomorrow and after 1,000 years and even until the end of time, as long as Hezbollah exists, it will never recognise Israel," Nasrallah said.
A senior US official said Thursday he was unhappy with a British decision to open low-level contact with Hezbollah and suggested London only indirectly informed the new US administration ahead of time.
Nasrallah called for Riyadh and Cairo to "extend a hand" to Iran, Hezbollah's main backer.
He made the speech in honor of Prophet Muhammad's birthday.
Nasrallah said that "Hizbullah is on their list of terror organizations. Even our television stations and our aid organizations are on western list of terror groups, as well as many other names like Imad Mugniyah, myself and others. Today the United States comes and says to us: 'You are terrorists but we are willing to forgive you for the past, provided you recognize Israel.'
This is their entire story - recognize Israel and renounce violence - in other words, give up the resistance. Never. I tell them we will never accept Israel's right to exist on Palestinian land."
Hezbollah leader vowed that his party will never give up weapons and it will never end its armed resistence until the day Israel is demolished.
"They say that the United States is Israel's ally, but we say that God is our ally, as He was during the Lebanon war of 2006. It's impossible that we would recognize Israel. Only the cowards recognize it," Nasrallah said, in a sarcastic remark directed at Egypt.
"All Arabs should fight Israel. But whoever doesn’t wish to fight should at least not recognize Israel. As long as there is such a terrorist and aggressive entity like Israel, we will never be able to renounce the resistance. The resistance is our life, our glory, our sacredness and our honor."
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Updates...
13 March 2009
Hezbollah chief vows to never recognise Israel
Lebanon group "will never recognise Israel's right to exist".
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Friday his movement would never recognise Israel.
Hezbollah leader remains defiant on Israel.
"To those who impose conditions on us, we say: We will never recognise Israel," he said in a speech during celebrations to recognise the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
"We reject the American conditions ... Today, tomorrow and after 1,000 years and even until the end of time, as long as Hezbollah exists, it will never recognise Israel," Nasrallah said.
A senior US official said Thursday he was unhappy with a British decision to open low-level contact with Hezbollah and suggested London only indirectly informed the new US administration ahead of time.
Nasrallah called for Riyadh and Cairo to "extend a hand" to Iran, Hezbollah's main backer.
He made the speech in honor of Prophet Muhammad's birthday.
Nasrallah said that "Hizbullah is on their list of terror organizations. Even our television stations and our aid organizations are on western list of terror groups, as well as many other names like Imad Mugniyah, myself and others. Today the United States comes and says to us: 'You are terrorists but we are willing to forgive you for the past, provided you recognize Israel.'
This is their entire story - recognize Israel and renounce violence - in other words, give up the resistance. Never. I tell them we will never accept Israel's right to exist on Palestinian land."
Hezbollah leader vowed that his party will never give up weapons and it will never end its armed resistence until the day Israel is demolished.
"They say that the United States is Israel's ally, but we say that God is our ally, as He was during the Lebanon war of 2006. It's impossible that we would recognize Israel. Only the cowards recognize it," Nasrallah said, in a sarcastic remark directed at Egypt.
"All Arabs should fight Israel. But whoever doesn’t wish to fight should at least not recognize Israel. As long as there is such a terrorist and aggressive entity like Israel, we will never be able to renounce the resistance. The resistance is our life, our glory, our sacredness and our honor."
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Iran Rulers
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BBC: The Power in Iran
THE EXPEDIENCY COUNCIL
The Council is an advisory body for the Leader with an ultimate adjudicating power in disputes over legislation between the parliament and the Guardian Council. The Supreme Leader appoints its members, who are prominent religious, social and political figures.
In October 2005, the Supreme Leader gave the Expediency Council "supervisory" powers over all branches of government – delegating some of his own authority as is permitted in the constitution.
It is not clear exactly how much this will affect the Council's influence, although observers say it is likely to strengthen the position of its present chairman, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was defeated in the 2005 presidential elections by Mahmoud Amadinejad.
THE GUARDIAN COUNCIL
This is the most influential body in Iran and is currently controlled by conservatives. It consists of six theologians appointed by the Supreme Leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.
Members are elected for six years on a phased basis, so that half the membership changes every three years.
The council has to approve all bills passed by parliament and has the power to veto them if it considers them inconsistent with the constitution and Islamic law. The council can also bar candidates from standing in elections to parliament, the presidency and the Assembly of Experts.
Reformist attempts to reduce the council's vetting powers have proved unsuccessful and the council banned all but six of more than 1,000 hopefuls in the 2005 elections.
Two more, both reformists, were permitted to stand after the Supreme Leader intervened. All the female candidates were blocked from standing.
Ayatollah Jannati is chairman of the council.
THE ASSEMBLY OF EXPERTS
The responsibilities of the Assembly of Experts are to appoint the Supreme Leader, monitor his performance and remove him if he is deemed incapable of fulfilling his duties. The assembly usually holds two sessions a year.
Although the body is officially based in the holy city of Qom, sessions are also held in Tehran and Mashhad. Direct elections for the 86 members of the current assembly are held every eight years and are next due in 2014.
Members are elected for an eight year term. Only clerics can join the assembly and candidates for election are vetted by the Guardian Council.
The assembly is dominated by conservatives such as its chairman, Ayatollah Ali Meshkini. Former President Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who lost the 2005 presidential election to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is deputy chairman.
THE SUPREME LEADER
The role of Supreme Leader in the constitution is based on the ideas of Ayatollah Khomeini, who positioned the leader at the top of Iran's political power structure.
The Supreme Leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV. He also confirms the president's election. The Leader is chosen by the clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts.
Periodic tension between the office of the Leader and the office of the president has often been the source of political instability. It increased during former president reformist Mohammad Khatami's term in office - a reflection of the deeper tensions between religious rule and the democratic aspirations of many Iranians.
Iran's complex and unusual political system combines elements of a modern Islamic theocracy with democracy. A network of unelected institutions controlled by the highly powerful conservative Supreme Leader is countered by a president and parliament elected by the people. [BBC]
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BBC: The Power in Iran
THE EXPEDIENCY COUNCIL
The Council is an advisory body for the Leader with an ultimate adjudicating power in disputes over legislation between the parliament and the Guardian Council. The Supreme Leader appoints its members, who are prominent religious, social and political figures.
In October 2005, the Supreme Leader gave the Expediency Council "supervisory" powers over all branches of government – delegating some of his own authority as is permitted in the constitution.
It is not clear exactly how much this will affect the Council's influence, although observers say it is likely to strengthen the position of its present chairman, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was defeated in the 2005 presidential elections by Mahmoud Amadinejad.
THE GUARDIAN COUNCIL
This is the most influential body in Iran and is currently controlled by conservatives. It consists of six theologians appointed by the Supreme Leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament.
Members are elected for six years on a phased basis, so that half the membership changes every three years.
The council has to approve all bills passed by parliament and has the power to veto them if it considers them inconsistent with the constitution and Islamic law. The council can also bar candidates from standing in elections to parliament, the presidency and the Assembly of Experts.
Reformist attempts to reduce the council's vetting powers have proved unsuccessful and the council banned all but six of more than 1,000 hopefuls in the 2005 elections.
Two more, both reformists, were permitted to stand after the Supreme Leader intervened. All the female candidates were blocked from standing.
Ayatollah Jannati is chairman of the council.
THE ASSEMBLY OF EXPERTS
The responsibilities of the Assembly of Experts are to appoint the Supreme Leader, monitor his performance and remove him if he is deemed incapable of fulfilling his duties. The assembly usually holds two sessions a year.
Although the body is officially based in the holy city of Qom, sessions are also held in Tehran and Mashhad. Direct elections for the 86 members of the current assembly are held every eight years and are next due in 2014.
Members are elected for an eight year term. Only clerics can join the assembly and candidates for election are vetted by the Guardian Council.
The assembly is dominated by conservatives such as its chairman, Ayatollah Ali Meshkini. Former President Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, who lost the 2005 presidential election to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is deputy chairman.
THE SUPREME LEADER
The role of Supreme Leader in the constitution is based on the ideas of Ayatollah Khomeini, who positioned the leader at the top of Iran's political power structure.
The Supreme Leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV. He also confirms the president's election. The Leader is chosen by the clerics who make up the Assembly of Experts.
Periodic tension between the office of the Leader and the office of the president has often been the source of political instability. It increased during former president reformist Mohammad Khatami's term in office - a reflection of the deeper tensions between religious rule and the democratic aspirations of many Iranians.
Iran's complex and unusual political system combines elements of a modern Islamic theocracy with democracy. A network of unelected institutions controlled by the highly powerful conservative Supreme Leader is countered by a president and parliament elected by the people. [BBC]
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