Alright, I’ll tag my ping here, since it’s relevant.
**Joseph Aoun Speech Highlights**
* Declares a new phase of Lebanon’s history.
* Promised to confirm the state’s right to **monopolize the carrying of weapons.**
* Will not compromise Lebanon’s sovereignty/independence.
* Will rebuild what was destroyed by the war.
* Will practice neutrality.
* Rejects naturalizing Palestinians and preserving the state’s right to exercise authority across all Lebanon, **including the Palestinian camps.**
* Wants to start a serious dialogue with Syria to **resolve all issues regarding sovereignty** and missing persons.
* Will not be lenient towards protecting the funds of bank depositors.
* Will call for quick consultations to choose a Prime Minister who is a partner, not a rival.
This is all very good. Excellent even. When you say only the state has the right to arms, that’s a clear jab at Hezbollah, he is refusing any non-state actor holding weapons. When he calls for neutrality, it’s promising what Hezbollah has adamantly rejected for a decade now. Every party in Lebanon supports neutrality, except Hezbollah who wanted involvement in Syria. When he promises to work with Syria regarding sovereignty, it sounds like regular words but they’re not. Syria, Lebanon and Israel dispute the Shebaa farms. Lebanon says it belongs to Syria, Syria always said it belonged to Lebanon but refuses to provide the papers to prove it. Israel has promised (n the distant past anyway) to withdraw once its status is clear. If this happens, Hezbollah won’t be able to claim liberation any longer as a reason/pretext to keep its arms (which is why Syria never provided the papers to begin with). Everything else is obviously good as well.
All in all, this sounds very good. He just needs to walk the walk.
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!ping MIDDLEEAST
Alright, I’ll tag my ping here, since it’s relevant.
**Joseph Aoun Speech Highlights**
* Declares a new phase of Lebanon’s history.
* Promised to confirm the state’s right to **monopolize the carrying of weapons.**
* Will not compromise Lebanon’s sovereignty/independence.
* Will rebuild what was destroyed by the war.
* Will practice neutrality.
* Rejects naturalizing Palestinians and preserving the state’s right to exercise authority across all Lebanon, **including the Palestinian camps.**
* Wants to start a serious dialogue with Syria to **resolve all issues regarding sovereignty** and missing persons.
* Will not be lenient towards protecting the funds of bank depositors.
* Will call for quick consultations to choose a Prime Minister who is a partner, not a rival.
This is all very good. Excellent even. When you say only the state has the right to arms, that’s a clear jab at Hezbollah, he is refusing any non-state actor holding weapons. When he calls for neutrality, it’s promising what Hezbollah has adamantly rejected for a decade now. Every party in Lebanon supports neutrality, except Hezbollah who wanted involvement in Syria. When he promises to work with Syria regarding sovereignty, it sounds like regular words but they’re not. Syria, Lebanon and Israel dispute the Shebaa farms. Lebanon says it belongs to Syria, Syria always said it belonged to Lebanon but refuses to provide the papers to prove it. Israel has promised (n the distant past anyway) to withdraw once its status is clear. If this happens, Hezbollah won’t be able to claim liberation any longer as a reason/pretext to keep its arms (which is why Syria never provided the papers to begin with). Everything else is obviously good as well.
All in all, this sounds very good. He just needs to walk the walk.
!ping MIDDLEEAST