FPM leader Gebran Bassil, center, at a meeting at the Maronite bishopric in Zahle, Bekaa, on Aug. 31, 2024. (Credit: NNA)
On a tour of the Bekaa region on Saturday, Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), reiterated his rejection of Hezbollah's involvement in the war in southern Lebanon, while pledging his continued support for the party. Bassil, who is meeting religious, political and economic figures from the region on Saturday, also called for the election of a Lebanese president.
"We have entered a war that is beyond us. When we say that we are against this war, this takes nothing away from our patriotism, but we want to avoid this danger to our country … Strength is not [the] only weapon, but also a strong economy,” the FPM leader said from Masa (Zahle) in reference to Hezbollah's involvement in the conflict Israel in south Lebanon. Hezbollah entered the conflict on Oct. 8, in the wake of Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Bassil also said he felt that “the choice of a president of the republic or a government should be an internal matter” and not linked to external considerations.
During an afternoon visit to Torbol, Bassil went on the defensive, distancing his party from responsibility for a range of challenges facing the country. "Are we the ones who asked Syria to interfere in Lebanon? Did we create Israel? Are we the ones who put in place the economic and financial policies that gave rise to the crisis? Were we the ones who brought in the Syrian refugees?" he asked.
He also criticized parties that "jumped on the bandwagon" when the FPM "presented major projects for oil or electricity."
During the day, residents of Taalbaya, at the entrance to Zahle, announced on social networks that they refused to allow Bassil to use the road that passes through their village. In a video broadcast live on Facebook, two men congratulated themselves on having forced the FPM leader to take a detour to reach his destination, instead of being able to use the Taalbaya road.
Christians 'ostracized'
The FPM leader's tour of the Bekaa began with a meeting with the Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Zahle, Niphon Saikali, and continued with a meeting with the town's Maronite bishop, Joseph Moawad.
Moawad stressed the importance of electing a president of the republic as soon as possible. He also addressed the issue of appointments to positions in the public administration, saying that “Christians are ostracized within the state.” The cleric also called for the return of blocked bank deposits and for a turnaround in the economic situation.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, Bassil said there is “no good news on the horizon, we are living an existential conflict in the region.”
In the afternoon, Bassil is due to hold talks with local judicial officials, followed by a meeting with residents of the Terbol locality. He will then meet the president of a local association, Ahmad Qattan, in Bar Elias, followed by meetings with the Zahle Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture and the town's merchants' association. Several meetings are then scheduled at the Hotel Kadri, first with political and economic leaders, then with the former president of the municipality of Majdel Anjar, Hussein Dib Saleh, and a delegation from this locality. The FPM leader will close the day with a partisan dinner in Zahle, at which he is scheduled to speak.
'What is the aim of the war?'
On Friday evening, at a partisan dinner in the Chouf, Bassil commented on his party's support for Hezbollah.
“We stand by Hezbollah when it comes to defending Lebanon and when we are attacked by Israel, but we don't support it when it launches a war with Israel. These are two different things,” the FPM leader said. “We are in favor of a strategy of defense, not attack. This does not mean that we want Israel to win, but that Lebanon alone will not wage war against Israel or liberate Palestine,” he added.
“What is the aim of the war today? To support [Gaza]? Gaza has been destroyed. Lebanon is involved in an open war that will not end soon. It's on the dividing line instead of protecting its economy or electing a president,” he stressed.
Commenting on the many resignations from the FPM in recent weeks, Bassil called on his supporters “not to speak ill [of those who have left], given that they were our comrades,” adding that he would be speaking on the issue in an interview on local channel OTV, “probably on Sept. 9”.
This article was originally published on L'Orient-Le Jour.
