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Sovereignty is the central issue in Lebanon. After the battle of the Nahr el-Bared camp in 2007, where Lebanese legitimacy triumphed over manufactured and imported terrorism, some seek to undermine the fragile stability by instrumentalizing the Ain el-Helweh camp. We find ourselves in a situation that is neither here nor there, and the Lebanese Republic is once again targeted in its sovereignty, national security and the security of its people.

Dilly-dallying about the explosion in Ain el-Helweh at a critical moment with suspicious motives is a futile endeavor. It would be better to turn to those who fiercely resisted the confiscation of illegal Palestinian arms both inside and outside the camps, despite the Lebanese Parliament’s abrogation of the Cairo Agreement (1969) in 1987 and the consecration of the Taif Agreement aimed at disarming all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, in addition to international decisions like 1559, 1680, 1701 and the resolutions of the National Dialogue Committee (2006).

It is challenging to depoliticize the strategy of this impenetrable barrier that has pursued its vision of “unity of scenes” at the expense of all violated national sovereignties. It worked towards the destruction of institutions by widespread corruption, dismantling the constitution, and dispersing the social fabric, going so far as to portray itself as a tutor and guardian, manipulating cards in endless back-and-forth exchanges of barter and negotiation.

All of the above raises complex questions: Is there a way to halt the process of destroying Lebanon’s sovereignty? What forces can stem this trend? To what extent is it possible to stop this war of attrition that these forces are waging, and form a broader coalition capable of confronting the threat to our sovereignty?

These questions are as complex as their answer is simple, despite the challenges posed in terms of mindset, vision and phased program. Accessing the historical moment is crucial to redefining the essence of the Lebanese question in its civilizational dimension. Lebanese sovereignty is not only violated; it is outright confiscated. No legitimate entity exercises its legitimacy. That is where the greatest danger lies.