Al-Rahi: The Events in Ain al-Hilweh are Regrettable and Spread Danger Among the Safe

Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi pointed out that the memory of the Mountain reconciliation "was for us a commitment to continue and develop it." During the "Mass for the Rest of the Souls of the Martyrs" at the Our Lady of Elige Monastery in Mefouq, he noted that "we were pained by the earthquake that struck Morocco, and we pray to God's mercy for the rest of the souls of the deceased and the healing of the sick, and we express our condolences on behalf of our Maronite Church." Al-Rahi explained that "the martyrs died so that we witness the diversity that characterizes Lebanon. This diversity, in unity organized in the constitution, makes Lebanon a haven for convergence and dialogue," pointing out that "living together, based on national consensus and embedded in the constitution, grants legitimacy to any authority in the state." He emphasized that "we express our regret over the battles in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, which spread danger among the safe, and these bitter events strike at the core of the Palestinian cause. Lebanon cannot be neutral in the face of Israel and the Arab consensus; neutrality requires that Lebanon be kept out of regional and international conflicts and that Lebanon maintains its external sovereignty over its borders and internal sovereignty with one army and one authority, defending itself with organized self-powered forces." Al-Rahi called for "the necessity of electing a president for the republic, implementing the Taif Agreement, to put an end to the chaos in constitutional authority and administrative and security appointments, and the random interpretation of the constitution."