The head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), Gebran Bassil, during our podcast "Aux urnes citoyens!" with our co-editor-in-chief Anthony Samrani. (Credit: OLJ)
BEIRUT — Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), stated in an interview with influencer Mario Nawfal that the biggest "misconception" by the West regarding Hezbollah, his party's former ally, is labeling it as a "terrorist" group. Addressing questions about a series of political assassinations in Lebanon in the early 2000s, Bassil suggested that these incidents might have been staged to "criminalize and encircle" the party and that all accusations against it have been "politicized."
The FPM and Hezbollah had been political allies since the 2006 signing of the Mar Mikhael Agreement, but their relationship has soured since Hezbollah opened a "solidarity" front with Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023.
In the interview, Bassil discussed the relationship with Hezbollah, which he has repeatedly refused to call a "political ally." He described it as "a Lebanese party with which we have an agreement" that has been suspended but declined to label it an "enemy." He argued that Lebanon is in a state of war, but not solely because of Hezbollah. He noted that while they agree on defending Lebanon against Israel and terrorist attacks, they disagree with Hezbollah’s policy of unifying fronts with its allies, including Hamas. He questioned why Lebanon should enter into war when other countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and even Iran, are not engaged in conflict, accusing Hezbollah of prioritizing interests other than those of Lebanon.
Bassil highlighted that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah does not desire a total war in Lebanon due to the high cost but wants to ensure Hamas’s victory against Israel, even if it means "playing with fire." Recent exchanges of fire with the Israeli army have heightened fears of an expanded conflict. Bassil expressed concern that Israel might treat Lebanon similarly to how it has treated Palestinians.
Bassil emphasized that the priorities of Nasrallah's party to have a strong resistance and the FPM's goal of state-building should not be contradictory. He stated, "Building the state does not eliminate Hezbollah and resistance" and condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions as "unforgivable."
Regarding the Western view of Hezbollah as a "terrorist" group, Bassil argued that Hezbollah received the most votes in recent elections, and it is inappropriate to label its supporters as terrorists. He also suggested that while various theories about the forces behind the early 2000s assassinations of political and media figures opposing Syrian occupation are plausible, these attacks have been "politicized." Bassil condemned any possible "conspiracy" against Hezbollah, asserting that there is "no evidence" of the party’s involvement in these attacks, which he believes were used to "criminalize and encircle" the pro-Iranian group.
Although many of the assassinations from this period remain unresolved, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) convicted three of the four accused, all with ties to Hezbollah, in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005. One accused, Salim Ayache, was convicted at first instance, while two others, Hussein Oneissi and Hassan Habib Merhi, were convicted on appeal. However, the STL did not establish a direct link between the attack and Shiite leaders. Mustafa Badreddine, the main suspect described as the "mastermind" of the attack by investigators, was killed in Syria in 2016.
Regarding U.S. sanctions against him imposed since November 2020, Bassil reaffirmed that Washington "has no evidence" of corruption on his part and seeks to pressure him into publicly denouncing Hezbollah.
