Hassan Nasrallah via video in Beirut

    Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday addressed tens of thousands of supporters via video in Beirut, saying that "the Zionist entity can be wiped out of existence," referring to Israel. In a speech broadcast live at a rally marking the end of the 40-day mourning period for slain Hezbollah military chief Imad Mughniyah, who was assassinated in a car bombing in Damascus last month, Nasrallah also said that "our nation is stronger now than ever before." The Lebanon-based guerilla group Hezbollah has repeatedly blamed Israel for the assassination of the group's second in command, but Israel has categorically denied any involvement. "Zionist-American propaganda is aiming to harm our nation's consciousness. They, using their violent system, are trying to tell us that we are weak and powerless. They want to tell us that we don't have any hopes of winning," the Hezbollah leader continued. The Hezbollah leader argued that the victories presented by the Israeli military are made bigger than they are in the Israeli-American propaganda machine, that has been operating for 60 years (since the establishment of the state of Israel.) "The media has aggrandized this army and the Israeli soldier, officer and general," he said. Nasrallah stressed repeatedly the fact the Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 was a tremendous victory for his organization, both on military and psychological terms. "There is a military political victory termed the withdrawal of the occupation army from southern Lebanon, but there is also an ideological victory in the battle of consciousness," he said. However, he continued, in the summer of 2006 a powerful new answer became apparent: "in the July war we were attacked by the [Israeli] army and the resistance withstood the great attack, breaking and shattering the army. We found and we saw the true picture of the Israel and the leaders, generals, officers, soldiers and the Israeli tank?the nation that isn't facing bombings and banishment, lived in bomb shelters for 33 days. Could Israel be wiped out of existence? Yes and a thousand times yes." (18,01)