Jumblatt: The Ball Lies in Israel's Court, and Iran Must Leave Us Alone
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt told MTV that the ball is in the Israeli court, adding that Amos Hochstein had heard from him the importance of implementing Resolution 1701, ensure exclusive control of arms south of the Litani River, and return to the Armistice Agreement, which was later reaffirmed in the Taif Agreement.
Jumblatt explained: : Resolution 1701 affirms the ceasefire and encompasses all previous resolutions, including 1559, 1680, the Taif Agreement, and Hezbollah's stance on applying these resolutions as stated by Naim Qassem.
He continued, We cannot continue with the idea of the unity of the fronts, as they must be separated; Iran cannot use Lebanon to improve the terms of the nuclear negotiations, and Lebanon has had enough of Iran's involvement.
Jumblatt emphasized that he made his position clear on Iran because he believes that Lebanon is not a battleground but an independent country a position that can only be achieved through dialogue with Lebanese allies, including Hezbollah.
He stressed on the necessity of a ceasefire to be able to negotiate with Hezbollah, adding, we are waiting for a signal from Hochstein in the next 24 hours, which could be either positive or negative, since no one knows Netanyahu's true intentions. He also pointed out that, this is the last attempt by the Biden administration regarding the negotiations; I hope we can pull Lebanon out of this hellish cycle, and we have done more than our duty and paid a heavy price to unify the fronts.
Jumblatt noted that the question mark lies on the intentions of Netanyahu and the US administration; the priority now is to achieve a ceasefire, have a strengthened Lebanese army, and reach an understanding with Hezbollah, as the south must stop being used as a battleground to support Gaza and the West Bank.
He also pointed out that the Minister of Defense must acknowledge the need to recruit soldiers for both the army and internal security forces, and I reject emptying cities or villages of their army personnel for the sake of the south.
On another note, he mentioned, we are engaging solely with the Hezbollah MPs present in Parliament to discuss the organization of shelters and how to assist the displaced, and we cannot address other issues with them, as they are under constant threat.
Jumblatt emphasized, We are not resorting to self-security in Al Jabal; we are cooperating with all state institutions, and the South Council is playing a pivotal role in addressing the needs of the displaced.
He added, We must reach a political agreement with Hezbollah. Mikati and Berri are making tremendous efforts regarding the implementation of the ceasefire and truce. Mikati is making an exceptional effort in managing the government, but but it is crucial to elect a president.
In a different context, Jumblatt said, I was informed that some Washington visitors have called for imposing sanctions on President Berri.
Regarding the relationship with the Lebanese Forces, Jumblatt revealed that I have been in contact with Geagea, and I will visit him as it is difficult for him to move around due to security reasons.
In response to a question, he said, There will be no peace treaty with Israel out of respect to the Palestinian cause and because we refuse to surrender after all the destruction they left in our country.
On the Druze file, Jumblatt added: I urge the Druze of Palestine not to interfere in our affairs, as they have their own circumstances since 1948; I am not afraid of a strife, and the threat I received on a website is just 'intelligence work'.
