Druze Council: UNIFIL Was Never an Enemy to the Lebanese and Must Never Turn into One
The Druze Religious Council advised Tuesday against the international peacekeeping force in the south becoming an enemy for the Lebanese people, underlining the strong ties between the two sides.
"UNIFIL forces in the south was never an enemy for the Lebanese people and must never turn into one," the council said after its regular meeting presided by Sheikh Naim Hassan.
The peacekeeping force "aids the people with a lot of their daily needs in cooperation with the specialized United Nations agencies. It also helps the state spread security and sovereignty," the statement added.
The council expressed hope for a renewal of UNIFIL”s mandate without "the amendment of Security Council Resolution 1701 despite the latter”s confusing language and its flaws."
It called for more attention to be paid to "Israel”s daily violations of the resolution, including repeated show of force, interferences and acts of espionage and intimidation."
The statement called on the Lebanese government to continue to push for "Israel to be held accountable for its actions at the United Nations."
The council said recent events in the country, including the discovery of Israeli spy cells and tensions in the south, should "motivate the Lebanese to reach a deal as soon as possible on a future government."
It called on political leaders to "abide by the democratic principles that have been enshrined in our constitutional system of governance since the era of independence and that have been adopted in the formation of consecutive governments."
The statement praised recent inter-Muslim rapprochement and steps to achieve national unity.
"Efforts to put the house in order will consolidate this unity. There can never be a Muslim arena or a Christian arena in the absence of an all-encompassing national unity embodied in national integration and coexistence," it said.