BINT JBEIL, Lebanon, (Reuters) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking yesterday close to Israel’s northern border, praised what he called Lebanon’s resistance to the Jewish state and declared that “Zionists are mortal”.
Addressing thousands of cheering Hezbollah supporters in Bint Jbeil, where there was fierce fighting between the militant Iranian-backed group and Israeli soldiers in 2006, Ahmadinejad said the town symbolised Lebanon’s defiance.
“The world should know the Zionists are mortal … today the Lebanese nation is alive and is a role model for regional nations,” the Iranian president said on the second day of a trip that highlighted the growing power of Tehran’s ally Hezbollah.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Ahmadinejad, who has called for the Jewish state to be wiped from the map, was bringing a message of violence and extremism and was “transforming Lebanon into a platform for his aggressive plans against Israel.”
Bint Jbeil is just 4 km (2.5 miles) from the border and Israel’s Channel 2 Television said echoes of Ahmadinejad’s welcoming ceremony were audible on the Israeli side minutes before he arrived.
The town was heavily bombed in the 34-day conflict four years ago and most houses around the stadium where he spoke had been rebuilt since then.
“I announce that Bint Jbeil is alive and is standing. The world should know that Bint Jbeil is proud and will stand against the enemies till the end,” Ahmadinejad said.
He also visited Qana, where 106 Lebanese civilians were killed in 1996 when Israeli aircraft struck a base run by U.N. peacekeepers in which villagers had sought shelter. “You are victorious and your enemies are defeated,” Ahmadinejad said.
“You will stay and your enemies, who are the enemies of humanity, are on their way to demise and annihilation. You are honoured and your Zionist enemies are humiliated and weak.”
