Residents returning to their villages in South Lebanon pass under a bridge in the Ghazieh region displaying photos of Hezbollah's chain of command decimated by Israel, on Nov. 29, 2024. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
BEIRUT — Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam criticized comments made by the Amal Movement MP Kassem Hashem about a potential future dialogue regarding Lebanon's defense strategy on Wednesday.
The issue of Hezbollah's weapons is at the heart of the debate and has long been a contentious topic in Lebanese politics. The debate has intensified since the party's latest war with Israel, following the unilateral Hezbollah decision to open a 'support front' for Gaza from southern Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023.
Hezbollah opponents accused the party of violating Lebanon's sovereignty by involving the country in the war. On the other hand, Hezbollah and its allies argue that the weapons are necessary to defend Lebanon from Israel.
The Amal Movement is Hezbollah's closest ally, while the Lebanese Forces are one of its most vocal opponents.
In an interview published Tuesday by the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anba, Hashem said that although Hezbollah's weapons constitute one of the "most important pillars of Lebanon's strength." He added that the arsenal can be "discussed and deliberated at the dialogue table promised to discuss the defense strategy."
Since the formation of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's government, Hezbollah has hinged discussions about its arsenal on dialogue and a national defense strategy.
"However, handing over the resistance's weapons unconditionally, which would make it easier for Israel to implement its geopolitical and ideological projects in Lebanon, is absolutely unacceptable. Hence, I call on the political parties, without exception, to find common ground on this matter, and to act calmly and wisely in approaching it," he continued.
Karam rejected the dialogue proposal and criticized Hashem's remark
"We remind [Hashem] that the team who obstructed the discussion of this strategy for over 20 years is the one that clings to its weapons at the expense of the state and the constitution, while the only strategy that protects Lebanon and maintains its stability is the state's monopoly on weapons and commitment to the constitution and international resolutions," Karam said.
"We no longer need defensive strategies or anything else; what is required is adherence to the constitution and the ministerial statement and refraining from making statements that contradict the government's clear policy regarding Hezbollah's weapons," he added.
The Lebanese Cabinet, formed in January, had emphasized in its declaration that "the state is fully responsible for the defense of its territory" and must "hold the monopoly on weapons."
Lebanon and Israel signed a cease-fire agreement in late November following more than 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon.