Bassil on the relationship with Hezbollah: We agree on protecting Lebanon and disagree on 'building it'

The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, considered that Hezbollah's position on the extension is consistent with its previous stances, and he was not surprised by it. 

This article was originally published in and translated from the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.

He emphasized that he is an ally of Hezbollah in its resistance against Israel, not an absolute ally internally. There are matters they agree on and others they differ on.

Bassil revealed in an interview with Nidaa Al-Watan that after the extension, communication with Hezbollah was cut off, except for a congratulatory call from Wafik Safa.

In assessing the relationship, Hezbollah has long criticized Bassil for insisting on entering the "internal positions" at the "expense" of strategy, an approach that provokes them. 

According to him, "If building the state is wrong, then we have nothing to do with their 'routes,' and we want Lebanon's 'course.'"