Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil stressed Thursday that “our acceptance to the establishment of a Jewish state means that we will always accept feuding sectarian entities,” adding that this annuls the Arab League.
Bassil’s remarks came as he addressed the annual Arab Foreign Ministers meeting on the sidelines of the 71st United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.
Speaking of terrorism, Bassil said that the latter has surpassed the borders and its name is now linked to Arabs.
“What are we doing about that? Are our militaries engaged in the battles or are they relying on Russia, the United States, Iran and the international alliance?” he asked.
“We must confront the islamophobia that is gripping minds."
As for the Syrian refugee crisis, the FM clarified that the Arab nations have been witnessing summits and hearing pleas that call for a merger between refugees and hosting communities, questioning whether Arabs "really want to encourage the displacement of their people, and thus lose them and the diversity in the region."
Bassil also pointed out that Lebanon "has been bearing the largest financial burden due to the influx of refugees across its borders.”
"We are not asking for help or money, but an understanding of our exceptional situation and an attempt to help us stay away from conflicts," he concluded by saying.