National Bloc: Hezbollah should be an indivisible part of the state

The National Bloc Party, and in response to Hezbollah’s statement "the resistance stands behind the state,"  said that no party should be required to stand in front of, or behind the state, but rather be an indivisible part of the state like all other Lebanese parties.  Furthermore, it is the state and the rule of law that protects the freedom of citizens and the cohesion of a society, recognizing the rights and obligations of its citizens; this is not the job of different groups that identify with different reference ideologies. 

In this context, the Bloc referred to a basic principle based on historical experience: the only protection for a Lebanese fraction or group are only other Lebanese. External protection, no matter where it comes from remains prone to the changing interests of that external power.  The Bloc noted that in order for the Lebanese people to be inclined to protect each other requires establishing trust amongst them, and this at the core of the Lebanese National Bloc’s work.  

The Bloc also asserted that it is not acceptable for a single group of Lebanese to take up the defense of the border, especially when the circumstances that led to the burden being thrown on that group are no longer relevant. The Lebanese armed forces are a Lebanese state institution that is supposed to be solely responsible for protecting the homeland. Joining the Lebanese armed forces which are not under any external dictates, and that welcome all Lebanese citizens without discrimination, should be an honor for any Lebanese citizen.

 The rejection of the Settlement of Palestinians in Lebanon:  on this issue the National Bloc pointed out that maintaining the balance of the Lebanese demographic, and the fact that the Palestinians’ land has been occupied by Israel, are not the only basis for the Palestinian “Right to return”. There is also the principle of defending what is absolutely righteous, and the adherence to what is absolutely right is one of the attributes of the Lebanese people.    

In its statement, the Bloc stressed that what is right is indivisible. If Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah considers that all Lebanese are the sons and daughters of one unified country, then he must also believe that they deserve equal rights and obligations, and to live safely away from conflicts that are the results of getting involved in the struggles of external forces.  It is here that the Bloc quoted “Imam Ali”: "What is right has left me no friend”.

The fight against corruption: the National Bloc addressed Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah saying that the greatest jihad is self-jihad, and corruption is the fall of the soul. One cannot confront corruption only through exposing scandals or through creating parallel bodies to combat it; corruption can only be fought through enabling and strengthening monitoring and prosecution mechanisms, an undertaking that is in need of a firm and clear political decision.  The National Bloc added that Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in his position as a key partner in government, should take the initiative in face of the silence of others on the issues of corruption.

The party concluded by stating that more than being a matter of numbers and reason for the collapse of the state,  corruption is abject humiliation for citizens as it makes them pay with their dignity for their most basic rights, and what is more humiliating than that?