Latest news with #JebranBassil
Nahar Net
6 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Bassil says Hezbollah arms have become a 'source of threat'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 August 2025, 19:35 Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil stressed Tuesday that 'any arms outside the state are illegitimate,' adding that 'the Movement adopts a clear stance on the inevitability of restricting arms and their command to the state alone without any partnership or interference.' 'The FPM's stance also stems from the Taif Agreement, which stipulated the dissolution of all militias but was not fully implemented, which led to overlooking the resistance's arms and other clauses,' Bassil added in a televised address. 'The successive governments legitimized these weapons and the time has come for implementing this clause as well as other clauses, such as decentralization, the abolition of sectarianism and establishing a senate,' the FPM chief said. He clarified that 'realistic changes have happened and have necessitated a change in the FPM's approach on the issue of arms.' Noting that 'the deterrent mission of Hezbollah's arms fell due to its unilateral participation in the 'war of support' (for Gaza)' and the war with Israel that followed, , Bassil warned that 'the idea of the presence of arms itself has become a source of threat, danger and great harm for Lebanon.' 'These arms must be placed in the hand of the state exclusively and should not stay in the service of any axis,' the FPM chief said. He also rejected 'blackmail and threats of civil war from any group with the aim of preventing the unity of arms in the hand of the state.'
Nahar Net
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Bassil says govt. approval of 'American' paper shameful
by Naharnet Newsdesk 08 August 2025, 12:54 Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has criticized the government's approval of the objectives of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack's paper, saying Cabinet should have approved a 'Lebanese' paper instead. 'Let them at least preserve the form! And let them adopt a Lebanese paper, not an American, Syrian, Iranian or any other country's paper! What a shame!' Bassil said in a post on X. 'We were born from the heart of legitimacy and the womb of the Lebanese Army and we're the ones who want arms monopoly and to have the decisions inside state institutions, but we cannot but cry when we see this subservience to foreign forces,' the FPM chief added. Cabinet's decision on Thursday prompted the ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement to withdraw from the session. They had also walked out of a cabinet session on Tuesday when the government decided to task the army with presenting a plan to monopolize arms in the country before the month's end.
Nahar Net
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Bassil urges Hezbollah to admit its arms have become 'a burden'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 01 August 2025, 18:05 Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil considered, amid domestic and American pressure to disarm Hezbollah, that it is time for the group to admit that its arms have become a burden to Lebanon. "I call on Hezbollah to act responsibly and to admit that these arms have become a burden," Bassil said in an interview Thursday with Lebanese TV channel MTV, also urging the group to do some "serious thinking" and "not to buy time." The Christian leader said that he supports peace but only fair peace, where Lebanon gets his full rights - to all its resources and territories - and is protected from Israeli attacks. Israel has repeatedly struck south and east Lebanon and less frequently Beirut's southern suburbs despite a ceasefire reached in late November. The Israeli army is also still occupying in south Lebanon five hills it deems strategic. Bassil said that Lebanon also can't make peace accords with Israel alone and can only consider peace once there is a comprehensive Arab decision to normalize ties. After several Arab-Israeli wars, Egypt was the first Arab state to recognize Israel diplomatically in 1979. It was followed by Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. In October 2023, Saudi Arabia suspended talks on the possible normalization of relations with Israel, following the Israeli war on Gaza.
Nahar Net
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
MPs discuss Hezbollah arms, Israeli violations, and US intervention in plenary session
by Naharnet Newsdesk 16 July 2025, 14:04 Lawmakers convened Wednesday for the second day in Parliament to debate the government's policies. During the session, MPs mainly discussed Hezbollah's arms and Israeli violations and renewed confidence in the Lebanese government. The no-confidence vote was proposed by Free Patriotic chief Jebran Bassil. Sixty-nine MPs gave a vote of confidence to the government, nine FPM MPs voted against it, and four MPs abstained. Many MPs on Tuesday and Wednesday called for Hezbollah's disarmament while Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi said "We all know that the army is not allowed to have defensive weapons to protect the country against the enemy." - Amal MP says gov. not doing enough to protect Lebanese - Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan criticized the government for not doing enough to prevent the Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement reached in late November. "We haven't felt that the government is working responsibly and seriously to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire agreement," Khalil said, adding that "the open discussion about arms must continue, but responsibly" and that the government must also discuss the reconstruction of war-hit regions. Khalil said in Hezbollah's defense that "the resistance was never an independent project but rather a reaction that emerged when the national defense system failed to protect sovereignty, especially in the south." - Hezbollah disarmament - Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan criticized Tuesday the government's lack of progress in restoring the state's authority and disarming Hezbollah, while Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Jebran Bassil said he supports Hezbollah's disarmament but not by force. MP Fouad Makhzoumi called for Hezbollah's disarmament and proposed to discuss it in a cabinet session and independent MP Neemat Frem said Hezbollah's arms must not be destroyed or given to Israel, but handed over to the Lebanese army. - US intervention - Hajj Hassan for his part accused the U.S. of intervening in Lebanese affairs. He said that some Lebanese parties are serving the American and Israeli narratives and failing to see the Israeli threats. MP Oussama Saad also said the American mediators are biased to Israel and pressuring Lebanon. "We will not argue about the handover of weapons to the state," but "the Israeli occupation cannot be ignored." On Tuesday, MP Jamil al-Sayyed criticized U.S. envoys Amos Hochstein, Morgan Ortagus, and Tom Barrack, who he said "threatened Lebanon with civil war". "It's as if we've become an experimental field for these envoys." - No foreign dictations - Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denied any foreign dictations and vowed to continue working on extending the state's authority north and south of the Litani river and to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territories and stop its aggressions.
Nahar Net
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
MPs discuss Hezbollah arms, Israeli violations, and US intervention in plenary session
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours Lawmakers convened Wednesday for the second day in Parliament to debate the government's policies. During the session, MPs mainly discussed Hezbollah's arms and Israeli violations and renewed confidence in the Lebanese government. The no-confidence vote was proposed by Free Patriotic chief Jebran Bassil. Sixty-nine MPs gave a vote of confidence to the government, nine FPM MPs voted against it, and four MPs abstained. Many MPs on Tuesday and Wednesday called for Hezbollah's disarmament while Hezbollah MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi said "We all know that the army is not allowed to have defensive weapons to protect the country against the enemy." - Amal MP says gov. not doing enough to protect Lebanese - Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan criticized the government for not doing enough to prevent the Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement reached in late November. "We haven't felt that the government is working responsibly and seriously to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire agreement," Khalil said, adding that "the open discussion about arms must continue, but responsibly" and that the government must also discuss the reconstruction of war-hit regions. Khalil said in Hezbollah's defense that "the resistance was never an independent project but rather a reaction that emerged when the national defense system failed to protect sovereignty, especially in the south." - Hezbollah disarmament - Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan criticized Tuesday the government's lack of progress in restoring the state's authority and disarming Hezbollah, while Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Jebran Bassil said he supports Hezbollah's disarmament but not by force. MP Fouad Makhzoumi called for Hezbollah's disarmament and proposed to discuss it in a cabinet session and independent MP Neemat Frem said Hezbollah's arms must not be destroyed or given to Israel, but handed over to the Lebanese army. - US intervention - Hajj Hassan for his part accused the U.S. of intervening in Lebanese affairs. He said that some Lebanese parties are serving the American and Israeli narratives and failing to see the Israeli threats. MP Oussama Saad also said the American mediators are biased to Israel and pressuring Lebanon. "We will not argue about the handover of weapons to the state," but "the Israeli occupation cannot be ignored." On Tuesday, MP Jamil al-Sayyed criticized U.S. envoys Amos Hochstein, Morgan Ortagus, and Tom Barrack, who he said "threatened Lebanon with civil war". "It's as if we've become an experimental field for these envoys." - No foreign dictations - Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denied any foreign dictations and vowed to continue working on extending the state's authority north and south of the Litani river and to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territories and stop its aggressions.
