The head of the Kataeb Party, MP Sami Gemayel, confirmed that "the threat is always present; it sometimes decreases and sometimes increases. It is not a new occurrence, but what is dangerous during this period is that Hezbollah's media machine analyzes blood." Gemayel indicated in an interview on the program "Twenty-Thirty" on LBCI that "if Hezbollah wants to reach a settlement, it can silence anyone who questions the settlement. It is not farfetched to target the doubting voices, and we have information and warnings, in addition to analysis regarding the possibility of being targeted."
He continued: "My message to Hezbollah is that we want to live in a country with a sovereign state where citizens are equal in rights and duties, in a stable country with freedom where we live under the roof of law and constitution. This is what we want, a normal state." He emphasized that "the basic condition for establishing the state is having borders and authority that monopolizes the use of violence before addressing other issues. The reform project requires liberating the country's decision, which is not in the hands of the Lebanese."
Gemayel stressed that "nothing is more important than delineating the borders, but we, as Lebanese, had no say in the delineation of maritime borders. The maritime borders of Lebanon were modified without consulting the people through their parliament. Today, there is a war in the south; did the parliament or the government discuss it? This is evidence that the country's decision is in the hands of Hezbollah." He noted that "the essential components of the country are absent, and our fundamental problem is with Hezbollah. They must decide whether they want to be a partner or continue with a logic of hegemony and unilateral decision-making, making the rest of the Lebanese second-class citizens."
He stated: "We reject the logic of violence and war. We have responded to this point, and the main problem is that the other party operates with a canceling logic toward anyone who disagrees with them politically." He pointed out that "the coup process in the country is cumulative; it began with the election of Michel Aoun, placing the MPs before the choice of surrender or void. Today we live in a coup situation as the party gives us the choice between void or its candidate."
Gemayel remarked: "I have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which resembles what we witnessed in the 1990s with the Syrian mandate over Lebanon." He added: "When there is a serious will from Hezbollah to open a new page, there must be a national conference for candid discussions, cleansing of memory, and building a new Lebanon based on new principles, such as acknowledgment of the other, freedom, difference, and equality. Everything else is negotiable."
He revealed that “we are ready to sit at the table with Hezbollah and discuss all matters within the institutions if Hezbollah's decision is to operate under the roof of the constitution and the state and accept equality.”
