Joumblatt urges Hezbollah to 'abandon military action,' focus on politics

Former head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Joumblatt suggested that the political and military leadership of Hezbollah should recognize that "the past is over" and engage the party solely in political dynamics, renouncing military options.

In an interview published Wednesday by the Saudi daily Okaz, Joumblatt discussed several current issues, covering the recent developments in the region, including the war between Hezbollah and Israel and its repercussions on Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime, Lebanon's reintegration into the Arab fold, and domestically, the formation of the next government by Nawaf Salam.

"Hezbollah's political and military leaders must understand that the past is over, and it's time for them to focus on political activity by abandoning their military actions," he said. He also referred to the inaugural speech of the president of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, elected with 99 votes on Jan. 9, considering that this text should "serve as a guideline for Lebanon."

"The country cannot engage in an open war against Israel," but it also cannot "make an arrangement" with the neighboring country, he stated, suggesting that a position of "no agreement-no conflict" would ensure a certain level of stability for Lebanon.

Concerning the paralysis in the formation of the government by Salam, Joumblatt warned against "Israel's exploitation of the governmental vacancy to continue destroying villages in southern Lebanon (...) As long as this deadlock persists, the country remains trapped in an endless cycle," he emphasized, adding that Israel 'takes advantage of every gap in Lebanon, especially the absence of a fully functioning government."

Amidst a political crisis over the allocation of the finance ministry to the Hezbollah-Amal duo in the future ministerial team, Joumblatt advocated for the principle of rotating portfolios, so that "various positions are not monopolized by a single community." He clarified that "no ministerial position is assigned to a specific faith" in the Taif Agreement, "unless an informal arrangement has been made behind the scenes," while emphasizing that it would be "wrong" to claim that the Constitution grants such a privilege, in response to statements by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry, who reaffirmed that the Ministry of Finance is considered a right accorded to the Shiite community since the adoption of the Constitution stemming from the Taif Agreement (1989).