President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at a government meeting in Baabda on Feb. 17, 2025. (Credit: Nabil Ismaïl)
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam kept his word.Less than a week after its formation, the ministerial committee tasked with drafting the new government's ministerial statement completed its mission. Beyond the fact that it was finalized in record time, the new ministerial statement is politically significant for several reasons.First, because it aligns both with President Joseph Aoun’s inaugural address and successive statements from Salam. Secondly, but more importantly, it is the first time since the Taif Agreement [which ended the 1975-90 Civil War] that a ministerial statement makes no mention of "the people's right to resist by all means the Israeli occupation."Instead, the new ministerial team emphasized that "the state is fully responsible for the defense of its territory" and must "hold the monopoly on weapons." The text underscores...
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam kept his word.Less than a week after its formation, the ministerial committee tasked with drafting the new government's ministerial statement completed its mission. Beyond the fact that it was finalized in record time, the new ministerial statement is politically significant for several reasons.First, because it aligns both with President Joseph Aoun’s inaugural address and successive statements from Salam. Secondly, but more importantly, it is the first time since the Taif Agreement [which ended the 1975-90 Civil War] that a ministerial statement makes no mention of "the people's right to resist by all means the Israeli occupation."Instead, the new ministerial team emphasized that "the state is fully responsible for the defense of its territory" and must "hold the monopoly on weapons." The text underscores...
