Sheikh Samy Abi Al-Mouna, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, met today, Thursday, at the Druze community house in Beirut, with a delegation from the "Renewal Bloc," which included MPs: Major General Ashraf Rifi, Fouad Makhzoumi, Michel Moawad, and Adeeb Abd al-Masih. They discussed the current military developments in the Palestinian-Israeli matter and the protection of Lebanon in light of the threats it faces.
After the meeting, MP Rifi spoke on behalf of the bloc, saying: "From the Druze community house, we reiterate the call for the need to protect Lebanon and militarily neutralize it from any adventure that could lead to destruction and devastation." He added, "In light of the serious events in the region and Lebanon, we affirm that the Lebanese must rally around Lebanon first. In this context, the Renewal Bloc is working to crystallize the broadest intersection to reject exposing Lebanon to war and devastation, just as it emphasizes the rejection of the systematic killing of civilians and the comprehensive destruction of Gaza, and underscores support for the Palestinian people's cause and their right to a safe and dignified life and to establish their state according to the two-state solution advocated by the Arab Peace Initiative announced at the Beirut summit in 2002."
Rifi continued: "From these standpoints, we declare that it is unacceptable to politicize the state's sovereign decision regarding peace and war. It is unacceptable for the Lebanese authority to be absent from action and influence, and it is also unacceptable to create new equations such as the 'rules of engagement' that take Lebanon outside the framework of the constitution and international legitimacy and place its decision and the fate of its people in the hands of armed groups, both Lebanese and non-Lebanese, outside the state. What is needed, then, is an immediate return to the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and all related international resolutions. We are not neutral in the Palestinian issue, but we want to spare Lebanon from being a battleground for regional investments. We want Lebanon to weather this storm without its people again paying the exorbitant prices that are no longer bearable. We also want Palestine to regain peace by achieving its independent state, and we call on all countries around the world to exert all efforts to protect the Palestinian people and to restore the path of a just and comprehensive peace, which is the only guarantee for achieving sustainable stability in the region."
He concluded: "The Renewal Bloc will continue its communications and meetings with everyone, as the trust bestowed upon us by the Lebanese obligates us to work continuously to protect Lebanon, and we will continue on this path to the end, God willing."
Additionally, Sheikh Abi Al-Mouna received MP Marwan Hamadeh, a member of the "Democratic Gathering" bloc.
