Walid Jumblatt ends commemorations of his father’s death: 'Justice Is finally taking its course'

On the occasion of the annual commemoration of the assassination of his father, Kamal Joumblatt, Druze leader Walid Joumblatt announced that he is ending this annual tradition, believing that justice will now be served following the arrest of those responsible for the murder in Syria. "In my name, in the name of my family, and in the name of the Progressive Socialist Party, I announce the end of this tradition because historical justice has been rendered, even if belatedly," he declared.

The Druze leader, who has handed over leadership to his son Taymour Joumblatt, emphasized that the party and the town of Mukhtara in the Chouf region are now entering a “new phase of struggle and perseverance,” according to statements reported by Lebanese media. A large delegation from the Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri visited Mukhtara on Saturday to pay tribute to Kamal Joumblatt.

Since Dec. 8, the date of Bashar al-Assad’s fall after a swift offensive led by a coalition of Islamist rebels dominated by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), hundreds of people have been arrested as part of security operations against the "militias" of the ousted president, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Ibrahim Houeija, former chief of air force intelligence under Hafez al-Assad, is among those arrested. He is accused of hundreds of assassinations, including supervising the attack that killed Kamal Joumblatt. Walid Joumblatt stated that justice is finally taking its course. He added that the era of oppression and tyranny has collapsed and that the Syrian people have been freed. He praised the new interim president, Ahmed al-Chareh.

The Druze leader also called for the reconstruction of southern Lebanon and other war-affected regions, through a mechanism supported by the international community and Arab nations. At the same time, he emphasized the strengthening of Lebanese-Syrian relations and the demarcation of land and maritime borders between the two countries. Addressing the Lebanese Druze community, Joumblatt urged them to preserve their Arab identity and to maintain their stance against the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. He also sent a message to the Druze of Syria, urging them to preserve their "historical Islamic identity."

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.

Walid Joumblatt annonce la fin des commémorations de la mort de son père, estimant que la justice suit enfin son cours