Three issues have remained at the forefront of internal concerns, and they will continue until necessary solutions and settlements are reached: the first is the situation in the southern region since the "Flood of Al-Aqsa" operation, accompanied by predictions of a potential escalation of confrontations between Hezbollah and Israeli occupation forces into an open war; the second is the presidential elections, where the proposed and contested options have yet to reach a resolution; and the third is the military issue that pressures for completion to avoid a leadership vacuum in the army before the term of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun ends on January 10. It is noted that the escalating internal political dispute surrounding these three files has not been mitigated by external interventions that would place the country on the path to the desired recovery.
These three files were brought by former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Interior Elias Murr to his meeting in Ain al-Tineh with Speaker of the House Nabih Berri, in the presence of MP Michel Murr, where they discussed developments and the latest political and field updates in light of Israel's ongoing aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, according to "Al-Jumhuriya."
After the meeting, Murr stated: "Three files were discussed with Mr. President Berri: the first is the issue of the south and the Israeli violations taking place on Lebanese territory, as well as the rules of engagement which we hope will remain and not extend further, as the situation cannot bear it, nor can the country or its economic and social conditions. Unfortunately, we are in a state of war. The second file is the vacuum in the leadership of the Lebanese army, and as you know, I held the Ministry of Defense for nine years and understand the dangers of a vacuum, especially during peacetime, let alone in a time of war. For this reason, President Berri confirmed he would do what is necessary to avoid a vacuum in military leadership. The third issue is the vacancy in the presidency, whose major problem is the internal dispute, specifically the Christian-Christian conflict that we all suffer from, which President Berri also feels.”
Murr added: "Christian representation has become a matter of 'begging.' We are pleading for the extension of the Army Commander for a few months because there is a war and we want to get through this phase, which is regrettable and painful. We have reached this point as Christians specifically due to our positions and internal disputes. If we want to prioritize this due to the ongoing war, there should be presidential elections today before tomorrow, but unfortunately, no Christian group agrees with the other on a candidate. They agree against someone but not on someone.”
Murr affirmed, according to "Al-Jumhuriya," that "regarding the army leadership, no one considers that there is a Christian consensus on extending the Army Commander, but there is fear of populism that could strike them if they do not proceed with the extension. Otherwise, we would have debated the name of the Army Commander and whether we should extend or not. Regarding the south, my personal opinion is that if the Israeli enemy is given the opportunity to expand the war into Lebanon, it will not hesitate because Netanyahu's government is in a major predicament, and he is personally in an even bigger dilemma. This is what the Israelis perceive, as we hear in their media. They consider that enlarging the scope of the battle could draw in the United States and some other countries into this conflict, leading to a regional confrontation so that he can save his government during this phase. Therefore, we must be very cautious about this issue."
When asked about his stance on the extension of the Army Commander and whether his son, MP Michel Murr, would vote in favor of this extension, he replied: "You can ask him here, but as he told me, he will vote in favor of the extension.”
In response to a question about Resolution 1701 and the army's deployment along the border, Murr stated: "I am one of those who formulated the 1701 agreement when we went to Rome and worked on it. I still believe that it has generated interest in Lebanon as over 30 countries are part of the UNIFIL force operating in the south. At that time, some criticized us, asking why we made this agreement, claiming it has gaps. However, 1701 ensured protection for the country, and its amendment means its destruction, which is very dangerous and should not be considered. Implementing Resolution 1701 is another matter that we are committed to as Lebanese; the government and the parliament, as we see and hear, are also committed to Resolution 1701, but changing it serves Israel."
When asked about President Berri's stance on this subject, Murr replied: "President Berri is fully committed to Resolution 1701 and has not gone into more details. I say, let’s implement Resolution 1701, and that is enough."
When also asked if there is an international message from Netanyahu regarding withdrawing Hezbollah from the border strip, he responded: "There are no international messages conveyed from Netanyahu’s mouth. He does not have the capacity to speak on behalf of half his government. Americans and French, as well as other envoys, have come and discussed the threats to Lebanon, and my personal opinion is that Netanyahu's political situation after the war will not be a comfortable one, to say the least. For this reason, he can upend the table and draw in sympathetic countries, so we must be very vigilant."
When he was asked if there is a real danger of war expanding, President Murr replied: "I have confidence that those dealing with the southern file, namely the Lebanese army, the government, President Berri, and the resistance on the ground, have sufficient awareness to prevent us from reaching this point."
