Awaiting “White Smoke” for Government Birth
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat said that he had heard of an opposition meeting held on Sunday in Rabiyeh, which he hopes for it to have positive results. Jumblat told Al-Manar TV channel that he is "awaiting white smoke" for the birth of the anticipated government.
In his weekly stance to PSP”s al-Anbaa newspaper published Monday, Jumblat said that forming the government is a right for the Lebanese people to be provided by their politicians, and that the extending delay puts the country in front of major political and security threats bigger than the ability of any obstructing party to bear alone.
"It is due time to transcend all minor things and achieve cabinet formation in a consensus spirit, away from all conditions and counter-conditions, away also from unrealistic demands," said Jumblat.
Jumblat urged the need to return to a minimum of Arab-Arab rapprochement after the Syrian-Saudi summit put its first pillar. Adding that "the Syrian-Saudi-Egyptian axis has to be the containing Arab vessel that can confront developments based on what is left of the Arab peace initiative before it is too late".
"We have always separated between the huge achievements and sacrifices of the Egyptian people and army facing Israel — lately it was when we sent a salutation in the memory of October war which was a distinguished mark and a big struggle milestone on the road of conflict with Israel — and our legitimate criticism for Camp David agreement that neutralized Egypt against the major conflict in the mideast despite the fact that the agreement gave it back its occupied land," said the Druze leader.
Jumblat added that the talk about the Egyptian role in the region and in terms with conflict against Israel is in the context of highlighting its major political role that was affected largely after the peace treaty.
"Meanwhile, the Israeli expansion is ongoing in the West Bank and danger is threatening Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque amidst a collapsing Arab world from Sudan to Iraq, the thing that threatens the Egyptian security in particular and Arab security in general," added Jumblat explaining his last stances regarding Egypt.
On the other hand, Jumblat said that discussing a defense strategy against Israel requires building atmospheres of trust on the internal level in order to reach the common goal underscored in protecting Lebanon.
"Day after day, the rightfulness of the stances we took appears — during the long struggle period which preceded and followed the toppling of the May 17 agreement (with Israel)," added Jumblat.
The Druze leader said that, during the last decades, Lebanon faced consecutive Israeli invasions that were not countered except through armed resistance even after the occupation of Beirut.
"The resistance faced the occupier and forced it out. It confirmed the refusal of the Lebanese people to settlement, normalization, or talks with the Israeli," added Jumblat.