MP Pierre Bou Assi, of the Strong Republic parliamentary bloc (Lebanese Forces), criticized attempts to link the presidential elections to the end of the war in Gaza, deeming it "a heinous crime."
"It is essential to completely dissociate what is happening in Gaza from what is happening in Lebanon, as weakening our institutions does not benefit Gaza. Unfortunately, the link between Hezbollah and the regional conflict poses a significant danger to internal balance and to the Lebanese entity and its institutions," he said.
In an interview with the official state television, Tele Liban, the MP said the assassination of founding member of the Al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) and vice-president of the Hamas political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, on Tuesday in Beirut's southern suburb, highlights the close connection between Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad, recalling the troubled period of the 1970s and 1980s when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was entrenched in Lebanon, drawing Israeli reprisals.
"Nobody has sacrificed as much as we have for the Palestinian cause. However, I would like to stress that our priority as the Lebanese Forces is Lebanon. Sacrificing our country for 75 years for the sake of the Palestinian cause has not brought any notable benefit, and Hezbollah's policy has done more damage to Lebanon than it has helped Palestine," he added.
On the extension of the mandate of the Army's Commander-in-Chief, Joseph Aoun, and the coordination between the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Amal movement in that regard, Bou Assi explained that it was a question of convergence of interests with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, to guarantee the stability of the army and the smooth running of the institution.
Bou Assi, however, dismissed a similar consensus with Berri over the presidential election, accusing the Hezbollah-Amal Shiite duo of not seeking political stability through the election of a head of state.
In conclusion, the Baabda MP spoke of LF participation in budget sessions, stressing its exclusive link to the preservation of state institutions. “No agreement has been reached with Berri, and the Lebanese Forces' only commitment is to the Lebanese people, to guarantee the proper functioning of institutions.”
"It is essential to completely dissociate what is happening in Gaza from what is happening in Lebanon, as weakening our institutions does not benefit Gaza. Unfortunately, the link between Hezbollah and the regional conflict poses a significant danger to internal balance and to the Lebanese entity and its institutions," he said.
In an interview with the official state television, Tele Liban, the MP said the assassination of founding member of the Al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) and vice-president of the Hamas political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, on Tuesday in Beirut's southern suburb, highlights the close connection between Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad, recalling the troubled period of the 1970s and 1980s when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was entrenched in Lebanon, drawing Israeli reprisals.
"Nobody has sacrificed as much as we have for the Palestinian cause. However, I would like to stress that our priority as the Lebanese Forces is Lebanon. Sacrificing our country for 75 years for the sake of the Palestinian cause has not brought any notable benefit, and Hezbollah's policy has done more damage to Lebanon than it has helped Palestine," he added.
On the extension of the mandate of the Army's Commander-in-Chief, Joseph Aoun, and the coordination between the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Amal movement in that regard, Bou Assi explained that it was a question of convergence of interests with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, to guarantee the stability of the army and the smooth running of the institution.
Bou Assi, however, dismissed a similar consensus with Berri over the presidential election, accusing the Hezbollah-Amal Shiite duo of not seeking political stability through the election of a head of state.
In conclusion, the Baabda MP spoke of LF participation in budget sessions, stressing its exclusive link to the preservation of state institutions. “No agreement has been reached with Berri, and the Lebanese Forces' only commitment is to the Lebanese people, to guarantee the proper functioning of institutions.”
This Is Beirut
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