Calls for army solidarity as Independence Day is overshadowed by Israeli strikes

BEIRUT — On the eve of the 82nd anniversary of Independence Day, as is tradition, several Lebanese officials paid tribute to figures considered the "fathers of independence" by laying flowers on their graves.

This annual ritual continues even as the traditional military parade has been canceled for the third consecutive year, amid ongoing Israeli fire and partial occupation in southern Lebanon.

At the center of speeches and addresses at this particular commemoration, political and religious leaders principally called on Lebanese people to close ranks and stand in solidarity with the Lebanese Army, which is expected to deploy in the South and disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollah called on Lebanese authorities to take “concrete measures” to rebuild the South, to strengthen “national unity,” reject “any form of external control or directives,” and not “abandon the country’s elements of strength.”

In accordance with the schedule set by the presidency, around 15 graves were adorned with flowers by ministers and MPs representing the head of state in recent hours, as Joseph Aoun toured southern Lebanon.

Information Minister Paul Morcos honored the memory of President Beshara al-Khoury with a tribute at his statue on the avenue bearing his name in Beirut. In South Lebanon, Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar visited the cemetery in Saida to pay tribute to Adel Osseiran.

In Ehden, MP Tony Frangieh similarly paid his respects at the tomb of former Minister Hamid Frangieh, while MP Kassem Hachem, representing President Aoun, visited the grave of Adnan Hakim in the Bashoura neighborhood in southern Beirut.

All Lebanese behind the army

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that “the state has failed in its responsibilities toward citizens for many years.” Today, 80 years after Lebanon’s independence, he said it is more than time for the state to “restore the broken links” with the public interest, the Constitution, and citizens’ rights.

“80 years after independence, what we need today is to restore the ties that have been broken: reconnect the state with the notion of public interest that it is meant to embody, reconnect the Constitution with its institutions, and reconnect citizens with their rights,” he wrote on X.

“A state that demands its citizens respect the law must be the first to respect it. And a state that asks for the trust of its people must have institutions worthy of that trust.”

Salam lamented how, faced with the collapse of the national currency and the deterioration of public services, the state had abandoned citizens to their fate. “The state has been slow to protect its citizens, hesitant to apply the Constitution, has given in to external pressures, and has allowed inequalities to widen,” he said, expressing a willingness to “assume” his responsibilities rather than “shirk” them.

“We can no longer afford to waste time and squander opportunities,” Salam concluded. “We have already lost enough, but our country still has assets that allow it to recover, notably exceptional human energies, a unique experience of modernity, and a social culture defined by openness and initiative.”

"We would never have achieved this independence without great sacrifices. We must honor the souls of the martyrs: those of the Lebanese army soldiers, the men of independence, and all Lebanese who gave their lives for the homeland," said the MP close to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

He said he was waiting for "the moment when we will achieve complete independence, once the Israeli enemy is pushed back and its occupation lifted from our land." He added: "Unity of stance is what protects the country, what deters the enemy and those who support it. On this day, we must stand by the national army. The Lebanese, regardless of their affiliations, all stand behind the army."

This is the latest call for solidarity, similar to those recently made by President Aoun, Berri, and many political leaders, as the army faces U.S. accusations of not disarming Hezbollah quickly enough.

The mufti of the Republic, Abdel Latif Derian, said that "our independence requires special attention, as the Zionist aggression against Lebanon continues." He praised "the government's and its president's tireless work to push back the occupation of the territory by diplomatic means, in cooperation with the international community, as well as the deployment of the Lebanese Army throughout the territory to extend state authority."

'Lebanon first'

Major General Edgar Lawandos, director of State Security, meanwhile stated that "protecting citizens and preserving their dignity is an essential duty, as is fighting corruption and crime." Addressing State Security agents, he emphasized that their duty "is to stand alongside their comrades in the Lebanese Army and other security institutions to protect civil peace and defend the homeland with strength and conviction."

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, for his part, called for "renewing the commitment to the principle of 'Lebanon first' as a practical choice, not just a slogan, in the deep crisis the country is experiencing."

He expressed hope that "the next Independence Day will bring more security and stability to Lebanon," and said "the decision for war and peace must remain exclusively in the hands of the state."

"The responsibility of defending the country, enforcing the law and ensuring stability rests with the army and security forces, as the institutions authorized to carry out these missions," he added, noting that in early August, the Lebanese government decided to establish a state monopoly on weapons, which means the disarmament of Hezbollah — a move the group refuses to accept.