The Vice President of the Lebanese government, Tarek Mitri. Photo provided by Mitri to L’OLJ
Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri sparked a new controversy on Saturday by saying in an interview on the al-Jadeed television channel that the roadmap of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament had “fallen through.” He quickly clarified his remarks in an effort to soften them, specifying that the expression had come from the journalist, not him. “I only said that [Tom] Barrack brought nothing new from Israel,” he emphasized shortly after the broadcast, following incendiary social media posts discussing his possible dismissal from the government and others calling for his resignation.
In detail, Tarek Mitri was a guest on the program al-Hadath. Speaking about the U.S. roadmap for resolving the crisis between Lebanon and Israel, and more specifically the cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli state, the Deputy Prime Minister explained that the U.S. roadmap “which includes Lebanese amendments” would only be valid if all parties — the governments of Lebanon, Israel and Syria — agreed to implement its provisions. “Israel has not given its agreement. That means the document no longer makes sense,” he observed, recalling that the Israeli state has not respected the cessation of hostilities since 2006.
It was then that the journalist asked him: “Has this roadmap fallen through?”
“Yes,” replied Tarek Mitri, while noting that he preferred to use another term. “The Lebanese government has committed to stopping hostilities, disarming Hezbollah, and liberating the country from Israeli occupation. Israel has not,” he added, referring to the expected commitment from Israel to cease hostilities and withdraw from the five to six areas of Lebanese territory still occupied.
“Lebanon’s starting point is therefore no longer the American document, which did not receive Israeli approval,” emphasized Tarek Mitri. “But Lebanon will continue to honor its commitments,” the minister assured, in line with his ministerial declaration and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
“Lebanon remains committed to stopping hostilities with Israel, recovering Hezbollah’s weapons, ensuring that the state holds the monopoly on arms, extending its sovereignty over the entire national territory, and also working through diplomatic channels to free the country from occupation and secure the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel,” he stressed. “All of this remains the Lebanese position,” he added.
New criticism from MTV
Criticism quickly erupted on social media, particularly since Tarek Mitri has previously taken controversial positions. On Aug. 18, he had already stated that “if Israel does not respect the American roadmap, Lebanese authorities would no longer be bound to comply with it.”
In one of its most virulent critiques, the MTV television channel — close to the Lebanese Forces and anti-Hezbollah — called on the minister to resign. “There is no doubt that Tarek Mitri is the worst minister in the government: zero achievements, zero added value. His record is full of blunders, the latest being his statement that Lebanon is no longer bound by Tom Barrack’s roadmap,” the channel wrote on its website.
“Tarek Mitri wants to follow Hezbollah’s line. This is clear from all his statements,” continued MTV. In fact, tensions between the minister and MTV predate even the formation of the government, as the channel’s owner, Michel Murr, once sought the position of Deputy Prime Minister, traditionally reserved for a Greek Orthodox figure. MTV regularly publishes critical reports about Tarek Mitri, who in February accused the channel of launching a defamation campaign against him.
Government respects the ‘objectives’ of the Barrack plan
The social media user @lebanese1_2020, presenting himself as the “Lebanese Wikileaks,” reported on X that “high-level discussions” were taking place between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to “dismiss Tarek Mitri and quickly appoint a successor after his repeated media blunders and statements that contradict the ministerial declaration and government decisions.”
However, a source close to the Prime Minister contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour denied this information. Nawaf Salam simply told LBCI that his government “has not committed to respecting the American document, but rather the objectives of this document.” “We remain committed to these objectives after the modifications that Lebanon has made to the document,” he emphasized.
In a message on X, which did not specifically mention the controversy or the individuals involved, Mitri expressed regret over the behavior of “those who do not hear what you say or read what you write and attack you, those who hear and read but do not understand and attack you, and finally those who hear, read, and understand, but instead of discussing with you, attack you.” “Shame on ignorance, rudeness, and bad faith,” he denounced.
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
