NEW YORK: Lebanon is facing a triple crisis due to instability from the war in Gaza, the Syrian refugee issue and the reconstruction of the south, the country’s president told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Joseph Aoun called for Israel’s full withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and condemned its continued use of drone strikes on the south of the country.
He also alluded to the disarmament of Hezbollah, by “securing the exclusive sovereignty of the Lebanese state,” which would be “enforced solely by … its legal armed forces.”
Lebanon is committed to an independent financial audit and a fair restructuring of the banking sector, Aoun said.
“We’ve also taken on the fight against corruption and organized crime to rebuild the trust of the Lebanese people in their state and the world’s confidence in Lebanon,” he added.
The president said his country “plays a unique role” in the world. “Amid the global clash over religious identities, Lebanon stands out as a nation where Christians and Muslims coexist as equals under a constitution that guarantees equitable representation to both communities in the parliament and the Council of Ministers with full citizenship for all individuals,” he added.
“I reiterate and emphasize a message of freedom and plurality. In a region where people are killed or kill over their religious belief or even for displaying a symbol of faith, in a wary world torn between those who want to impose religious attire and others intent on banning it, Lebanon offers a unique, unmatched and irreplaceable model.”
Aoun called for the protection of Lebanon’s religious traditions: “If Christians were to disappear from Lebanon, this delicate balance will fall and with it, justice.
“If the Muslim community in Lebanon no longer exists, this balance will also fall, and this will also undermine justice.”
He added: “It’s clear to me today that many of the underlying causes of the war on Lebanon, as well as the deeper, more insidious motivations behind it, have been aimed at dismantling Lebanon’s unique model.”
Aoun urged the UNGA to carry out its “moral, human and political obligation” and call for an end to the war in Gaza, which represents one of the “deep underlying causes” of the crises in Lebanon.
The country is burdened by the “unprecedented displacement situation taking place on its soil,” he added, describing the refugee crisis in Lebanon as “the largest in history” per capita.
“Through direct negotiations (with Syria) and with the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Lebanon hopes to bring about the “dignified and safe return of displaced Syrian citizens” as well as “the restoration of the special relations between Lebanon and Syria,” he said.
Israel’s destruction of border villages in south Lebanon will prevent stability in the country unless infrastructure “is rebuilt and its beauty restored,” Aoun said.
The Lebanese military must be given the means to “defend and safekeep our national integrity,” he added.
“We remain hopeful about the public initiatives to organize international conferences dedicated to that purpose.”
