Hezbollah issued on Wednesday a statement which stressed that the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has committed a grave sin by making a decision that strips Lebanon of the weapons of the Resistance against the Israeli enemy.
The statement maintained that the decision this weakens Lebanon’s capabilities and position in the face of ongoing American-Israeli aggression, and grants ‘Israel’ what it failed to achieve through its war on Lebanon.
“We confronted that aggression with the battle of The_Formidable_in_Might, which led to an agreement obligating ‘Israel’ to cease its aggression and withdraw from Lebanon.”
According to the statement, this decision clearly violates the National Pact, and contravenes the government’s ministerial statement, which explicitly says in Article 5: “The government, in accordance with the National Accord Document approved in Taif, is committed to taking all necessary measures to liberate all Lebanese territories from ‘Israeli’ occupation, extend the authority of the state over all its territories exclusively through its own forces, and deploy the Lebanese army in the internationally recognized Lebanese border area.”
“Preserving Lebanon’s strength and the arms of the Resistance is part of that ‘necessary measures’ clause,” the statement added, “Likewise, strengthening the Lebanese army and arming it to be able to expel the Israeli enemy from the state’s lands and protect them is one of those necessary measures.”
This decision came as a result of dictates by the American envoy Barrack, which was cited in the reasons and justifications for the proposal discussed in the Cabinet. Prime Minister Salam even announced that the Cabinet “decided to continue discussions on the American paper next Thursday and tasked the Lebanese Army with developing an implementation plan to restrict weapons before the end of this year.”
This decision fully serves Israel’s interests and leaves Lebanon exposed to the Israeli enemy without any deterrent, Hezbollah maintained.
According to the statemebt, the government has disregarded the commitment made by President General Joseph Aoun in his inauguration speech, where he declared:
“My pledge is to call for a discussion on a comprehensive defensive policy as part of a national security strategy on diplomatic, economic, and military levels that enables the Lebanese state — I repeat, the Lebanese state — to remove the ‘Israeli’ occupation and repel its aggression from all Lebanese territories.”
What the government has decided is part of a surrender strategy and a clear abandonment of the fundamentals of Lebanon’s sovereignty, Hezbollah affirmed.
“The withdrawal of Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers from the session is an expression of rejection of this decision — a rejection from the Resistance, which represents significant segments of Lebanese society across all regions, sects, and parties. It is also an expression of the broad popular rejection of subjecting Lebanon to American tutelage and Israeli occupation.”
This decision undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and gives ‘Israel’ free rein to tamper with its security, geography, politics, and very existence, the statement noted.
Accordingly, we will treat this decision as though it does not exist, Hezbollah emphasized.
“At the same time, we are open to dialogue — to end the Israeli aggression on Lebanon, liberate its land, release the captives, rebuild the state, and reconstruct what has been destroyed by the brutal aggression. We are ready to discuss a national security strategy, but not under the sound of aggression.”
The agreement must be implemented by the Israeli side first, and the government must prioritize ‘taking all necessary measures to liberate all Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation,’ as stated in its ministerial statement, the statement added.
“To our honorable people, we say: It is but a passing summer cloud, Allah willing. We are accustomed to patience — and victory,” the statement concluded.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
