The head of the "Free Patriotic Movement," MP Gebran Bassil, stated in a speech at the opening of the Youth House in Jbeil that "there is a trend within the movement to create youth houses. After Batroun, Zgharta, the Chouf, Zahle, and Keserwan, we are witnessing today the opening of the youth house in Jbeil. This is essential because the movement was born from the army and the youth. We were all kids in universities and schools when we dreamed of the Lebanon envisioned by General Michel Aoun." He pointed out that "with our youthful enthusiasm, we faced the world with freedom, sovereignty, and independence, and we had no weapon other than this slogan. Young people today should see themselves in this slogan because the issues we face require thinking about freedom and sovereignty."
Bassil emphasized that "we cannot rid ourselves of the corruption that restricts our decisions and financial independence, nor can we live through an existential crisis like that of the displaced without thinking that this is a type of occupation of our identity. It's not just important to occupy land; what’s more dangerous is when identity is occupied, for a people that loses its identity loses everything: its homeland, its land, all its landmarks, its history, and its future. These are the issues the movement is at the forefront of: corruption, displacement, and their real dangers for the state and its existence, and for the homeland and its existence. It is important for youth to head in this direction."
Bassil addressed one of the drawings at the Youth House depicting the actions of the Governor of the Central Bank, Riad Salameh, regarding embezzlement and money laundering, saying: "The drawing illustrates how a person steals from a country, not just its institutions, but goes further by stealing from an entire people and how this tragedy can be turned into a game, so that none of us forgets what Salameh has done. I do not know if it is normal for the people's money to be stolen while he remains silent."
He asserted that "the Free Patriotic Movement and President Michel Aoun alone fought to end the forensic audit and recover the money transferred abroad." He added: "There are two dangerous threats facing Lebanon: the first is Syrian displacement, while the second is what we witness in occupied Palestine. If we do not understand how to deal with these events with much awareness and responsibility, we will repeat the mistakes that led us to war," noting that "the heavy burden falls on us to keep these dangers at bay. When they were required to remain silent about the issue of displaced persons to bring them into Lebanon, they leveled accusations against us; in fact, they contributed to bringing them into the country and prevented the approval of plans to ensure their return to Syria."
Bassil noted that "when the international plan required disrupting the social fabric of the region, they began wanting to forcibly repatriate Syrians through violence, incitement, and hatred, which should not be the discourse, for Syria is a neighbor to Lebanon and we must think that we want to live as neighbors in peace, not in hatred, especially since the Syrian migration was forced due to the difficult conditions there," emphasizing that "instead of working to secure appropriate conditions for their return, the equation has become their staying at the expense of our existence."
Regarding what is happening between Palestine and Israel, Bassil lamented the "hostile" expressions seen on social media regarding a just Arab cause that affects both Christians and Muslims, and the position of the movement has been stated in this regard.
