A meeting of representatives from key Christian forces took place yesterday, under the sponsorship and presence of Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi. The meeting opened new horizons in discussions, leading to a document addressing the question "What kind of Lebanon do we want?". At the same time, the attendees continued to explore a draft paper that included essential topics of concern to the Lebanese, particularly Christians.
It appeared that there was agreement among the attendees, despite their differing political views when the paper discussed Lebanon's identity based on plurality, freedom, and democracy, as well as the importance of partnership between Muslims and Christians in public positions, as mentioned in "The Call of the Homeland."
However, the situation shifted when approaching the topics of sovereignty and weapons. According to information, some reservations were expressed regarding the idea of a defense strategy, on the grounds that the army should inherently be responsible for preserving sovereignty. When discussing the neutralization of Lebanon from conflicts, leading to positive neutrality, the Free Patriotic Movement agreed to link this to having a strong army similar to the Swiss model. They were not opposed to the exclusivity of arms in the hands of the Lebanese army but rejected calls for immediate disarmament of Hezbollah, considering that this process should occur gradually and in phases according to a specified program.
In an evaluation from within the Bkirki meeting, well-informed sources stated that yesterday’s meeting reflected the nature of previous meetings. They added: it is good for political forces, regardless of their differences, to reach a common diagnosis of the crisis and a roadmap for addressing it, but this has not been achieved. The reason is that issues can only be resolved by naming things as they are, starting with labeling illegal arms as Hezbollah's arms, which they declare under the guise of resistance weaponry. Simply referring to it as illegal arms could also encompass Palestinian arms and uncontrolled weapons, among others.
The sources concluded by stating that three outcomes are currently required:
1. It should be clearly stated that Lebanon is facing multiple crises, foremost of which is Hezbollah's arms and its role.
2. Addressing these crises, primarily Hezbollah's arms, begins with handing them over to the state. As long as these arms are not surrendered, Lebanese crises will remain unresolved.
3. The paper should address national concerns, not just Christian ones, as Lebanon from north to south seeks a state.
It is expected that Patriarch Al-Rahi will call for another meeting, likely to be held after Holy Week and Easter, to continue discussions and produce a unified document that addresses all Christian and national concerns according to "The Call of the Homeland." As anticipated, the Marada Movement was again absent from the meeting.
