Bassil: No Internal or External Force Can Disarm Hezbollah

By Staff, Agencies

Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil said Wednesday, “We have not changed our political positioning,” adding that tensions with Hezbollah began after it “adopted choices that do not serve the Lebanese interest.”

In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen, Bassil said that “in Lebanon, it is not possible to eliminate any component,” adding that understandings between Lebanese components “must not be abolished.”

He considered that “political divergence occurs on certain points, but it should not turn into a state of enmity.” He added that Hezbollah is “a Lebanese component” and that “its choices must be Lebanese, and its Lebanese axis must take precedence over any other axis.”

Bassil said the “defensive strategy” pillar of understanding collapsed when Hezbollah moved from defense to initiating an attack. Speaking to Al Mayadeen, he added that while the Free Patriotic Movement has the right to disagree with Hezbollah, it should not end up “alongside 'Israel' against a Lebanese component.”

He further stressed that “resistance cannot exist outside the state framework” or it loses legitimacy, while stressing that Hezbollah must operate within a national context and that the Free Patriotic Movement does not seek its isolation but aims to restore its “national appeal.”

He pointed out that the solution lies in a Lebanese–Lebanese agreement and a realistic approach, noting Lebanon’s potential regional role. He added that Lebanon can be an economic bridge and urged preventing war, maintaining neutrality, and avoiding involvement in regional conflicts.

Bassil indicated that the relationship with Hezbollah “is neither a rupture nor a fully settled relationship as it was in the past,” noting, however, that there may now be greater understanding or at least more willingness to hear our perspective."

He said Hezbollah “must be part of the necessary solution to pull Lebanon out of the cycle of wars,” adding that “Lebanon must not return to being a war zone.”

The FPM chief said that “Hezbollah must be part of the defense strategy” and that its weapons “are an integral part of it,” adding that any transfer or relinquishment of arms “must only take place when the necessary conditions for protecting Lebanon are in place.”

He stressed that “Israel’s ambitions require no proof,” adding, “We are aware of this danger to Lebanon, but what matters is how to confront it.”

He also affirmed that forcibly disarming Hezbollah “cannot happen, neither from within nor from outside,” warning that such a step would amount to a recipe “either for the complete destruction of Lebanon from the outside, or for internal war if attempted from within.”

Bassil noted that Lebanon possesses elements of strength, including its regional role and Hezbollah’s arsenal, which he said, “must not be relinquished cheaply.”

The top Lebanese politician stressed that “the strength of the Lebanese negotiator lies in internal unity,” while its weakness lies in “fragmentation and division.”

He added that, in the current reality, "I see neither the capability nor the willingness on the part of the United States to restrain 'Israel' from its aggression."

Bassil confirmed that the Free Patriotic Movement rejects, “as Christians", extremist statements directed against the popular base of the resistance, stressing that it does not accept calls for division or separation, especially during wartime.

He called on political leaders to “adhere to a unifying discourse and avoid reaching the point of division.”

Gebran Bassil said Lebanon should not be in hostility with Iran, calling it a major country, and urged defining Lebanon’s role through a national security strategy while maintaining friendly ties with the United States.

He also warned of potential "Israeli" internal security operations and possible infiltration.

He added that the state should avoid coordinating with foreign powers against its own people and called for a domestic understanding document to unify internal positions and manage disputes.