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April 25, 2019
National Bloc: The necessity of developing a trust-centered defense strategy amidst internal political division
The Lebanese National Bloc Party stated that there is an urgent need to devise a national defense strategy to protect Lebanon and that a national dialogue about this strategy should be launched in order to contain any rifts it might cause. The Bloc rejects approaching the defense subject through situational debates like the ones that took place when the Defense Minister stated that Lebanon would only need such a strategy when the Israeli threats disappear.
The National Bloc Party called for the issue of a defense strategy to be put on the table, and to be discussed calmly and continuously until a decisive outcome is reached. The Bloc proposed the following principles to build the dialogue upon:
- To hold to the principle of liberating every meter of land while keeping in mind the unity of the country.
- The establishment of a modern, prosperous, and just state with an army composed of its own citizens and exclusively responsible for the defense of the nation and its citizens.
- The martyrs who fell in defense of the homeland and its identity from various parties and sects are all martyrs of the homeland.
- It is not permissible for one party or sect to bear the burden of defending Lebanon using only that party or sect’s resources and sacrificing the lives of its people only.
- It is not acceptable to have groups defending specific sects or fractions and those sects and fractions’ rights. There should only be the defense of the rights of all citizens and their security.
- The transition from the dual means of defense to unilateralism through the army is a technical issue that should be examined by competent authorities.
- To build confidence among the Lebanese and to help them prioritize their citizenship over any other affiliation.
- Only through restoring confidence among the Lebanese can a solution be reached that can guarantee stability in the country. A pre-requisite to an open dialogue should be the belief and conviction of complete sovereignty, and independence from the regional and international axis. The concerns of all citizens should be reassured through equal rights and duties under the law.
- The strength of Lebanon is mainly based on the solidarity and sense of citizenship of its people. It is important to bridge the chasm of division among different communities, each looking for its own interests and protection. There are many historical examples of people who have resisted occupiers and won their freedom with limited military capabilities but with solidarity and unification.
- The lessons of history have taught us that fragmented populations, with each fragment only concerned with its own security and rights, no matter its military capabilities, will, in the end, forfeit the nation it belongs to.