Former Minister Ghazi Aridi criticizes Hezbollah, calls for a unified defense strategy

Former Minister Ghazi Aridi said that Lebanon is in the position of the victim, emphasizing that all the Lebanese state is demanding is an end to hostilities.

Aridi noted that developments in South Lebanon show that the Lebanese Army has taken significant steps on the ground and must continue its mission.

“The army is fighting with what little it has,” he said. “Nothing has been provided to it. It cannot achieve everything or prove the state’s strength overnight, but it must be supported and embraced.”

On Israel’s actions, Aridi argued that one of Tel Aviv’s objectives is to destabilize the Sunni community, which constitutes a majority in the region. The second, he said, is to seize the region’s natural wealth, directly or indirectly.

He recalled that the late Kamal Jumblatt had warned of this long-standing project decades ago.

Domestically, Aridi called for a unified national stance and serious dialogue among political forces about Lebanon’s future.

He added that Hezbollah made a mistake by refusing to cooperate with the consensus reached at the 2006 National Dialogue regarding a unified defense strategy.