Nasrallah addresses celebration rally

Dubai: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made a rare public appearance at a celebration rally for the five fighters released by Israel on Wednesday.

The rally, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, was attended by hundreds of thousands of people.

Nasrallah, who has appeared in public just once in the last two years, gave a short speech before introducing Samir Kantar, who had spent 29 years in an Israeli jail.

He said the era of defeats was over and that he only came from Palestine so he could go back.

"I promise my beloved in Palestine, we are coming back," he added.

The Lebanese group handed over the bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured by its fighters two years ago in a cross border raid which sparked an Israeli all out war against Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

Kantar and the four Hezbollah fighters wiped away tears as they walked to freedom in the border town of Naqoura to the cheers of hundreds of officials and Hezbollah supporters.

They were then flown in a presidential helicopter to Beirut airport, where they were received by President Michel Sulaiman and senior officials from both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

Lebanon, which went close to a civil war just two months ago, never looked as united as it did yesterday, throwing a hero's welcome party to the five freed prisoners. The government declared a national holiday yesterday.

Kantar was sentenced to five life terms by Israel for a 1979 a cross border attack in which an Israeli policeman and another man were killed.

The man's daughter was also killed in the crossfire, according to Kantar's testimony, although Israelis claim the girl was killed by Kantar.

His mother, Siham Kantar, 71, was shown on television embracing the freed man's brother and crying tears of joy as she awaited him at Beirut airport. "I never gave up hope for a day," she said, choking back tears.

"This moment makes up for 30 years of waiting." The five were released in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, captured on July 12, 2006.

The fate of the two soldiers was not known until their bodies were returned to Israel yesterday morning.

The mood in Israel was sombre as the two bodies of Goldwasser and Regev, arrived in black coffins. Goldwasser's family broke down in cries of despair when they saw the footage of Hezbollah handing over the caskets, while neighbours gathered around the Regev home, lighting candles and quietly shedding tears.

Israel's leading newspaper Maariv said the exchange was another victory for Hezbollah. "The Hezbollah leader [Hassan Nasrallah] will entrench his image as the only Arab leader who fought against Israel and defeated it," it lamented.

True, Nasrallah is the only Arab leader who's fighting against Israel. He's alone, still carrying victory. Imagine how would it be if Arabs unite again.
Hisham
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 17, 2008, 12:06

A small victory for Hezbollah but a giant leap for Arab world.
Albert
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 17, 2008, 08:27

It is a great victory of Hezbollah and all Muslims should celebrate this moment with full glad and also pray for innocent Palestinians and Iraqis.
Syed
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 17, 2008, 08:27