Hezbollah opponents fear Cabinet’s decision will be 'watered down'

BEIRUT — With a key Cabinet session on Sept. 5 approaching, political leaders opposing Hezbollah have reaffirmed their rejection of any attempts to weaken the government’s plan to restore the state’s monopoly on arms.

In their sights: the initiative recently proposed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who also leads the Amal Movement allied with Hezbollah. Berri’s move seeks to circumvent the document put forth by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack — since Israel rejected and failed to comply with it — by keeping the debate in Cabinet pending a decision.

The speaker discussed this initiative during his address marking the 47th anniversary of the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr.

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Speaking to the Voice of All Lebanon station, Lebanese Forces MP Ghada Ayoub argued that such a proposal risked "watering down" and reducing the scope of the government’s decision.

"The president of the republic, the prime minister, and the army commander are not prepared to backtrack on their decision," she added. The lawmaker from the Christian party — which is among Hezbollah’s fiercest opponents — also made clear that "military confrontation is not on the agenda."

"This pressure is not meant to precipitate a confrontation, and we do not want a clash between the army and any faction refusing to surrender its weapons," she insisted.

The other major Christian party opposed to Hezbollah, the Kataeb party, also criticized any attempt to undermine the fundamentals of the Aug. 5 decision, according to a statement from its leader, MP Samy Gemayel: "The political bureau affirms that dialogue in Lebanon is a welcome option as long as it aims to consolidate the concept of homeland and build the state.

However, what cannot be called dialogue is anything that seeks to challenge or overturn the decision to hand over weapons to the state and to extend its authority over the entire territory.

Any attempt to frame this as a negotiation point constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamentals of the state." The party also welcomed the first steps taken in the disarmament process of the Palestinian camps in recent days.

Beirut Sunni MP Fouad Makhzoumi, who also used the metaphor of "dilution" to characterize Berri's initiative, said in an appearance on al-Hadath channel: "The Cabinet has made its decision, and the Lebanese Army must implement it. Any statement casting doubt on the army's ability to carry out this mission is rejected."

He emphasized that "the army is capable of managing the situation, despite a few objections." He stressed that "those who have tried to defy the military institution over the years have failed, because the army enjoys the full support of the Lebanese people, and Hezbollah is well aware of this," recalling that "party leaders expressed this position after the cease-fire agreement negotiated by Berri as Hezbollah’s representative."

The MP also underscored that "Hezbollah is represented in the government by five ministers, who approved the ministerial statement and have twice given their confidence to the government."

Speaking after a meeting at the Grand Serail with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab said that "the atmosphere seems positive" for the Cabinet session scheduled for Sept. 5, which, he said, should proceed "calmly" and not create "additional conflicts."

He nevertheless voiced support for Berri’s initiative: "Some may be irritated by the call for dialogue given past experiences, but nothing can be achieved without dialogue. In this context, we discussed with the prime minister how best to facilitate the session and ensure its success, so that the Lebanese are not disappointed by discord."

Druze Sheikh Akl Sami Abi al-Mona received a Hezbollah delegation at the community’s headquarters in Beirut, headed by MP Amine Cherri, to discuss the latest regional developments.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Sheikh Abdel Majid Ammar, a member of Hezbollah’s political bureau, said the discussion focused on “the government decision that does not align with the National Pact and concerns the weapons of the Resistance.”

“We are counting on the wise figures of this country to pressure the government to return to a more rational approach in facing the challenges ahead,” he added.