The heads of Lebanon’s two major Christian sects intensified on Sunday their criticism of Hezbollah - without directly naming it - over its clashes with Israel that are threatening to drag the country to war.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said: “Heroism lies in averting war, not making it.”
Speaking at his Sunday sermon, he added: “Heroism doesn’t lie in fighting wars with destructive advanced weapons, but lies in reason and determination to make peace, achieve justice and prioritize compassion.”
This state of “mistrust and distance” can no longer continue “as it is poisoning society,” he declared.
He urged all parties to prioritize “forging national unity through new means and rhetoric, especially dedication to our nation Lebanon.”
“We pray to God to grant us the grace to prioritize peace over war, understanding over conflict, love over spite, good over evil and unity over division,” al-Rahi said.
Hezbollah has declared that it will continue its military operations against Israel from southern Lebanon until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. It has said the southern front aims to back Gaza.
Meanwhile, Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Audeh indirectly criticized Hezbollah by saying the “state’s voice has been usurped and war is being imposed on it and the people.”
“Our country is being destroyed and it is losing its democratic values. It is sliding into chaos and demagogy,” he went on to say.
“How can a country grow and prosper without a president to lead it according to what the constitution dictates?” he asked.
“How can a country be built while its army is deliberately weakened? How can a country enjoy stability and prosperity amid the proliferation of arms, the violation of its borders, oppression of justice, and usurpation of the state and while war is being imposed on it and its people?”
“What crime have the innocent civilians, who are being killed in this war every day, committed? How can a state be built when some parties seek to overpower the other, violate their decisions and ignore their very existence?” he asked.
“How can a state be built while everyone is ignoring it? How can citizens be seen as equal when those who have power, money and authority are the ones making the decisions?” Audeh wondered.
‘Israeli plot’
Hezbollah recently claimed that it thwarted an Israeli plot to strike Lebanon. It said that it preemptively chose to join the conflict after the eruption of the war on Gaza in October.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said: “Our country, especially the South, is most concerned with the outcomes of the aggression on Gaza. Lebanon is at the heart of the conflict and it is being targeted by the Israeli enemy.”
He revealed that after the eruption of the war, Israel had informed all envoys who had visited Lebanon, as well as American officials, that it could not coexist with “the Lebanese borders where a force like the resistance is deployed.”
“It asked them to head to Lebanon, exert pressure to find a solution and get rid of the resistance on the border area. The resistance responded clearly by saying that the decision-makers in Lebanon are the Lebanese people, who stand in a position of strength that is provided to them by the resistance,” he stated.
Moreover, he added: “The sacrifices made by the martyrs and the sons of the south, whether in blood or their livelihoods, are protecting the country and preventing a largescale Israeli war. They are thwarting the Israeli plans that want to undermine Lebanon’s strength, which is this resistance.”
