In a statement on the anniversary of the ominous May 17th Agreement, Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan said: “On the anniversary of the ominous May 17th Agreement, which nearly swallowed up Lebanese identity and which fell thanks to the sacrifices of the resistance factions and the historic February 6th uprising that restored the state, identity, and the people, I say: What we are experiencing today is a path that puts us on the brink of a catastrophe more dangerous than May 17th, because the authorities in this country want to burn Lebanon and its civil peace at any cost. What was agreed upon behind the scenes between the Lebanese authorities and terrorist Israel is being presented as a draft of Israeli conditions aimed at liquidating Lebanese national security, striking at the heart of the country, and eliminating the resistance, the people of the South, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley. This is the very essence of civil war. Beware of this game of role-playing, because every clause in the Zionist draft that diminishes Lebanon’s sovereignty and security is a request and incitement from the Lebanese authorities. This puts us before a Lebanese authority that is slaughtering Lebanon’s national security.
He added: Indeed, it is certain that this authority is compromising… he is sacrificing the most precious thing in this country and cares only about serving the American project. Yet, there is no greater betrayal than inciting Israel and America to continue the war to eliminate their own people. What’s even more dangerous is that the Lebanese authorities, behind closed doors, are giving terrorist Israel preferential treatment to uproot Lebanon and eliminate any national force.
He continued: This is a matter of national security, not a commodity to be bargained over in the political arena. Frankly, the Lebanese authorities want to hand over their national security to America and Israel.
This means the current government is embarking on the complete liquidation of the country, which is tantamount to national suicide. But the most dangerous aspect is the strife being instigated by the current authorities, primarily with foreign weapons.
The danger lies in the fact that America is seeking to secure Israel’s safety, while the Lebanese authorities are searching for someone to eliminate their resistance, their people, and their national sovereignty. This places us at the heart of the most dangerous project of self-destruction for Lebanon. Some must understand that protecting Lebanon’s national security does not depend on the US State Department or Tel Aviv’s maps.
Furthermore, Lebanon’s fateful decisions are not made at the US State Department or in the closed dens between the Lebanese tutelage authority and the snakes of Tel Aviv. This reveals the true nature of the authorities, who are perpetuating Lebanon’s most dangerous internal crises as part of a mission they know is striking at the very heart of civil peace. With this, we are almost facing an occupying power by proxy”.
He added: “What is happening now is the Lebanese authorities’ reliance on the Zionist war machine to settle internal scores that serve America and Israel. However, the reality of sovereignty is far greater than the power struggles and destructive aims of these authorities. Beware of persisting in this error, because America has external prescriptions ready for all kinds of civil wars and whatever is needed to destroy the state and its people. The dangerous thing about this authority is that it has no motive other than settling internal scores, and for this purpose, it resorts to foreign powers, which is precisely the quickest way to implode Lebanon from within.
However, Lebanon’s historical reality is clear in its greatness, the resilience of its people, the victory of its national forces, the defeat of the foreign game, and the downfall of its architects and those who instigated its bloody strife. With any new upheaval, Lebanon will emerge victorious, and the enemy of civil peace, whoever they may be, will lose. History is a lesson for those who learn.” Qabalan concluded: “Finally, I say to some: Lebanon is not preserved by surrender, shame, and burying one’s head in the sand. The weapon that restored Lebanon is the guarantee of this country and its sovereignty, not the weapon of those who abandoned the land and borders and prevented the Lebanese army from its great national mission. There is no weapon greater or more honorable than the one that restored the mosque and the church, liberated Lebanon, and restored the state and its institutions. There is no greater betrayal than the one who sold the country, surrendered the homeland, remained silent about an occupier, or cooperated with him. The mosque and the church have no value except by right, and there is no right greater than protecting Lebanon”.
