Lebanon's unity is 'the best way to resist' Israel, Derian says

BEIRUT — The mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Abdellatif Derian, stated Thursday, on the occasion of the Prophet's birthday, that the unity of a "fragmented, weakened, and corruption- and chaos-ridden" Lebanon is the best means of resisting Israel.

This statement comes the day after a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes in South Lebanon and on the eve of a crucial Cabinet meeting, during which the government is set to discuss the army’s plan to organize the disarmament of militias operating in the country, including Hezbollah, in order to restore the state's monopoly on arms.

"Lebanon’s strength lies in its national unity. Cohesion, affection, and cooperation allow the building of transparent and well-run institutions, and ensure equal treatment for all citizens. The solidity of our society is the best way to resist the Zionist enemy on our borders, whose brutality is beyond doubt and who respects neither religion nor commitments," said the Sunni religious leader.

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'A strong state'

"I urge you to unity and solidarity to build a strong, honest state free of corruption and favoritism, where weapons belong to the state, and the army protects the nation and represents all Lebanese.

This is the right path," he added from the Mohammad al-Amine Mosque, where he presided over a religious ceremony attended in particular by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, and Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi.

"Today, Lebanon is fragmented, weakened, and plagued by corruption and chaos, the result of weapons being in the hands of certain parties or groups, and not a particular sect," he concluded.

This statement implicitly aims to dissociate the Shiite community from the parties that represent it, at a time when the Amal-Hezbollah alliance is standing together, trying to push the government to reverse its early August decision to set a timetable for Hezbollah’s disarmament as part of a road map aligned with the Barrack plan — an American proposal brought by envoy Tom Barrack to maintain the ongoing cease-fire.

Before Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, head of the Amal movement, mentioned a new initiative to try to revive the internal debate on disarmament, Hezbollah's secretary-general, Naim Qassem, had made remarks interpreted by many opponents as a veiled threat of civil war.

As the Cabinet meeting approaches, the party has ramped up threats through media—including its Al-Manar channel and social media — in an attempt to dissuade the government from taking further steps toward monopolizing weapons.

In this context, the message sent by the mufti of the Republic, who repeatedly called for building "a strong state" in his speech, stands out from those made by other Sunni opponents of Hezbollah, such as Tripoli MP Achraf Rifi, who had threatened to take to the streets against Hezbollah.

On Tuesday, Derian had already made an initial plea for a state monopoly on arms and against corruption, notably calling for "restoring the state, its institutions, its army and its weapons, and carrying out deep reforms that should have been implemented years ago."