National Bloc: We support neutrality, but…
“A policy of positive neutrality should be adopted regarding disputes, wars, and conflicts between entities”; this concept is at the heart of the National Bloc’s vision for Lebanon’s foreign policy, and a direct quote that you can find on our website, under “The vision.”
But far from the escalating competition in the race to endorse this proposal, which we were upholding for a long time, we are worried because of the “parties-sects” that entered this race to support or oppose this proposal, under the camouflage of religious authorities. The major concern now is that these “parties-sects” would turn the neutrality issue into a righteous cause with an underlying malicious intention.
The reluctance of these parties to raise the issue of neutrality in a serious way, pushed the religious authorities to raise it instead. The principle of neutrality was first raised in Bkerki. It was supported by Dar El Fatwa, but opposed by the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council. We therefore moved from a political approach, to a religious, confessional, and sectarian approach.
To avoid any confusion, the National Bloc Party considers, in brief, that the four pillars of neutrality are the following:
- Non-interference in other countries’ affairs, and non-involvement in international alliances, or in regional or external conflicts or wars.
- Lebanon’s commitment, politically, to support the humanitarian and righteous issues, particularly the cause of the Palestinian people against racism and Israel’s expansionist policy.
- Neutrality is a means to protect Lebanon. With that goal in mind, Lebanon’s duty and right is to repel any aggressor with all the means available to its armed forces.
- The neutrality decision should be the subject of an internal dialogue, and the result of a consensus to avoid turning it into another point of contention, or a new divisive element in a country that is increasingly fragmented and crumbling.