Lebanon: Popular Movement Rejects Harming Relations with the Gulf

A massive demonstration in front of the Saudi embassy in Beirut in support of Saudi Arabia (AP)
A massive demonstration in front of the Saudi embassy in Beirut in support of Saudi Arabia (AP)
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Lebanon: Popular Movement Rejects Harming Relations with the Gulf

A massive demonstration in front of the Saudi embassy in Beirut in support of Saudi Arabia (AP)
A massive demonstration in front of the Saudi embassy in Beirut in support of Saudi Arabia (AP)

The Lebanese authorities are still unable to carry out practical moves to confront the repercussions of the current crisis with the Gulf countries.

Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Prime Minister Najib Mikati would discuss this issue with French President Emmanuel Macron in Scotland, on the sidelines of his participation in the COP26 Climate Summit.

Also, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib contacted his Qatari and Omani counterparts, calling for “restraint and work to avoid escalation.”

During his phone conversation with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Bou Habib “welcomed and appreciated” all the efforts made to contain the escalation and alleviate the current crisis, stressing “the importance of communication and meeting with all Gulf and Arab brothers.”

He also contacted his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, appreciating the statement issued by the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the current crisis and stressing the “importance of dialogue and understanding, as well as Lebanon’s keenness on the best fraternal relations with its Arab and Gulf brothers.”

In the same context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants welcomed “the statement issued by the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which it expressed its deep regret over the worsening relations between a number of Arab countries and the Republic of Lebanon.”

A statement issued by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry called on all sides to “avoid escalation and address differences through dialogue and understanding in a way that preserves the brotherly countries and their peoples’ supreme interests…”

It added that Lebanon is keen on maintaining the best relations with its Gulf and Arab brothers.

Meanwhile, the country’s political and civil figures continued to condemn statements by Information Minister George Kordahi and his refusal to resign, warning of the repercussions of the crisis at the political and economic levels.

Al-Mustqbal MP Hadi Hobeish said that a large part of the Lebanese, who do not agree to any political talk against the Gulf, are paying the price for such stances.

For his part, Lebanese Forces Party MP Shawki Daccache considered Kordahi’s resignation a first step to address the diplomatic crisis and preserve Lebanon’s Arab identity.

The Lebanese-Saudi Council denounced statements made by Kordahi and other officials who offended Lebanon’s relationship with its Arab surroundings, calling on the government to carry out its work independently, and to dismiss the minister.

“If the matter is left without a radical treatment, it will cause severe damage to the supreme interest of the state and the Lebanese, who are looking to strengthen relations with the Arab environment of Lebanon,” the Council warned.

The Lebanese Association of Industrialists called for speeding up stances that protect Lebanon and safeguard the interests of its people.

“National dignity requires that we explicitly commit ourselves to the interest of Lebanon before any other consideration, no matter how high it is, and that we refrain from engaging in conflicts that do not concern us,” it said.



Jerusalem Patriarch Hails Pope’s Commitment to Gaza

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa speaks during a press conference at the Latin Catholic patriarchate at the Old City of Jerusalem, 22 April 2025. (EPA)
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa speaks during a press conference at the Latin Catholic patriarchate at the Old City of Jerusalem, 22 April 2025. (EPA)
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Jerusalem Patriarch Hails Pope’s Commitment to Gaza

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa speaks during a press conference at the Latin Catholic patriarchate at the Old City of Jerusalem, 22 April 2025. (EPA)
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa speaks during a press conference at the Latin Catholic patriarchate at the Old City of Jerusalem, 22 April 2025. (EPA)

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on Tuesday hailed Pope Francis's support for Gazans and engagement with the small Catholic community in the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The Catholic church's highest authority in the region, who is considered a potential successor to the late pontiff, Pizzaballa told journalists in Jerusalem that "Gaza represents, a little bit, all what was the heart of his pontificate".

Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, advocated peace and "closeness to the poor... and to the neglected one", said the patriarch.

These positions became particularly evident in Francis's response to the Israel-Hamas war which broke out in October 2023, Pizzaballa said.

"He was very close to the community of Gaza, the parish of Gaza, he kept calling them many times -- for a certain period, also every day, every evening at 7 pm," said the patriarch.

He added that by doing so, the pope "became for the community something stable, and also comforting for them, and he knew this".

Out of the Gaza Strip's 2.4 million people, about 1,000 are Christians. Most of them are Orthodox, but according to the Latin Patriarchate, there are about 135 Catholics in the territory.

Since the early days of the war, members of the Catholic community have been sheltering at Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City, and some Orthodox Christians have also found refuge there.

Pope Francis repeatedly called for an end to the war. The day before his death, in a final Easter message delivered on Sunday, he condemned the "deplorable humanitarian situation" in the besieged territory.

"Work for justice... but without becoming part of the conflict," said Pizzaballa of the late pontiff's actions.

"For us, for the Church, it leaves an important legacy."

The patriarch thanked the numerous Palestinian and Israeli public figures who have offered their condolences, preferring not to comment on the lack of any official message from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Even as "the local authorities... were not always happy" with the pope's positions or statements, they were "always very respectful", he said.

Pizzaballa said he will travel to Rome on Wednesday, after leading a requiem mass for the pope at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem in the morning.

As one of the 135 cardinal electors, the Latin patriarch will participate in the conclave to elect a new pope.

Pizzaballa, a 60-year-old Italian Franciscan who also speaks English and Hebrew, arrived in Jerusalem in 1990 and was made a cardinal in September 2023, just before the Gaza war began.

His visits to Gaza and appeals for peace since then have attracted international attention.