Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai stressed the need for Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon, as a necessary step for the President to act effectively on the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Speaking from Bkerke on Wednesday during a special media forum organized by the Catholic Center for Information, Rai emphasized that neutrality remains essential for Lebanon’s survival. He recalled that neutrality was part of President Aoun’s oath of office and urged international support to help Lebanon achieve this policy.
He questioned the continued Israeli presence in the South and Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm, warning that both factors obstruct reconstruction efforts. “Without resolving these issues, there can be no rebuilding,” he said.
While insisting that “Lebanon is not on the verge of collapse,” the patriarch warned of mounting challenges that threaten the country’s stability.
Patriarch Rai noted that Lebanon’s precarious situation makes neutrality all the more urgent. “Our complex reality calls for a clear policy of neutrality, supported by the international community,” he stressed.
The patriarch also raised concerns about the growing wave of emigration, which he said affects both Christian and Muslim communities alike. “Lebanon no longer provides opportunities for its youth,” he said. “Our tragedy is that they have to seek success abroad. We hope the state can recover economically so that they can stay in their homeland.”
Addressing journalists on the occasion of the 59th World Day of Social Communications and the Jubilee Year, whose central message is “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” the patriarch urged the media to be bearers of hope rather than fear.
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