DUBAI: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday said those who “dragged Lebanon into futile wars” had no right to lecture others on patriotism or national sovereignty.
In a statement that appeared to be directed at Hezbollah without naming the group, Salam rejected accusations that the country's political leadership had sided with Israel rather than defending Lebanon's sovereignty.
“Someone pays us a visit who accuses the political authority of having supported Israel instead of supporting Lebanon's sovereignty, then calls for dialogue and unity as if the Lebanese have no memory,” Salam said.
He said that the greatest service to Israel had been provided by those who had drawn Lebanon into what he described as “futile support wars,” giving Israel a pretext to launch attacks that violated Lebanon's sovereignty, destroyed towns and villages, killed civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Salam also criticized those who, he said, had monopolized decisions on war and peace outside the authority of the state, accusing them of tying Lebanon to regional agendas while ignoring the interests of the Lebanese people.
“There is no sovereignty for Lebanon except through a single, independent decision in a state with one army that extends its authority over all its territory,” he said.
The prime minister said genuine dialogue and national unity could only be achieved by acknowledging past mistakes and accepting responsibility for decisions whose consequences the Lebanese continue to bear.
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to ending the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory, securing the release of Lebanese detainees, facilitating the safe return of displaced residents to their homes, and rebuilding communities damaged by the conflict.
Salam also called for an end to accusations of treason in political discourse, saying honest dialogue and national solidarity were essential to strengthening Lebanon's ability to confront the country's ongoing challenges.
Salam's remarks came as Lebanon and Israel continue a new round of US-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at implementing a framework agreement reached in Washington in June.
The deal envisages the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese army to areas vacated by Israeli troops and the eventual disarmament of Hezbollah.
The latest negotiations, which began on Tuesday and are due to continue until Thursday, are the seventh round of US-mediated talks since Hezbollah opened a front against Israel in support of Iran following the outbreak of the Gaza war, triggering months of cross-border fighting and a wider Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem dismissed the negotiations, saying they would bring Lebanon “nothing but shame, humiliation and successive compromises”. He also criticised President Joseph Aoun, accusing him of abandoning his role as a neutral national figure.
