A few years ago when the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist movement decided to enter the country’s political arena, there was some hope that – as did the Irish Republican Army and as did the African National Congress – this would lead to a moderation that could ultimately help turn the country and Hezbollah from violence.

Anyone who still believes that also likely believes that the Iranians have no desire for nuclear weapons. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah made that more than clear last week when he declared that armed struggle is the only way to get back land captured by Israel.

He was not referring to the small sliver of land adjacent to Syria and Israel that his country still claims. That land, the eight-square mile Shebaa Farms, is still controlled by Israel. That’s because the United Nations has declared it Syrian territory and Israel hopes to return it as part of a comprehensive peace deal with Syria. Rather, Mr. Nasrallah was speaking of ALL of Israel – as he has done so often in the past.

Making this even more disturbing is that the Hezbollah leader was doing this while unveiling his organization’s new political platform – not its military strategy. Thus, the political arm of Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese governing coalition, is dedicated to Israel’s destruction. Indeed, as Mr. Nasrallah added, “Israel represents a constant threat and an impending danger to Lebanon.” For good measure, he took some swipes at the United States as well, saying that its “unlimited support to Israel” puts “the American administration in the position of the enemy of our nation and our peoples.”

Let us not forget that Hezbollah already has killed hundreds of U.S. Marines with the bombing of our barracks and embassy in the 1980s – when we were on the ground to try and impose order out of eternal chaos.

This comes only weeks after a 300-ton shipment from Iran to Hezbollah was intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea by Israeli forces.

Hezbollah – by its own word – is a grave threat to the security of Israel, the United States and anyone who seeks to stem radicalism of politics, a phenomenon that in the Middle East has repeatedly led to the funding of terrorist groups. Hezbollah does not have two faces – one military and one political. It is a one-face organization and should be taken at its destructive word.