Category: Internal Affairs

The Lebanese Center for Justice, in cooperation with the Faculty of Law and Political and Administrative Sciences at the Lebanese University's third branch in the Dahr El Ain region, organized today a conference under the headline, 'Children of Gaza in the Scales of Human Justice', in which Lebanese and international experts in the field of human rights participated in the presence of Caretaker Information Minister, Ziad Al-Makary, and several prominent figures and officials. In his delivered word, Minister Makary referred to the difficult and painful experiences witnessed ever since the Gaza war broke out in October, pointing as well to the martyr journalist Issam Abdallah and the six other media professionals who were injured as a result of the Israeli enemy's aggression. 'The issue is related to international justice. I am not a legal person, but as a Minister of Information, I would like to talk about what happened with us in this particular case. On October 16, that is, three days after the assassinat ion of Issam Abdallah, the Director of UNESCO issued a statement regarding martyr Abdallah, denouncing his death and calling for a transparent and complete investigation, and also denouncing the killing of Palestinian journalists Saeed Al-Taweel, Muhammad Sobh and Hisham Al-Nawaja, and demanding an independent investigation, while condemning the killing of the Israeli journalist and calling for a full investigation and bringing the perpetrators to justice' Makary said. 'This is a statement issued by UNESCO and not by any party related to the war. Here is my question to you: Where is international justice after we have seen all the international organizations and heads of Western countries standing by these crimes and genocide?' he wondered. 'I no longer believe in the existence of international justice, but I have faith in two components: the resistance and the media,' Makary went on, considering that 'nothing will expose Israel's heinous crimes except the media through reporting the truth as it is, with re sponsibility and transparency.' 'There is no need to exaggerate matters and give false news, for it is all there in front of you. The killing of children is part of the history of Israel and is not new at all. We have grown old with this news that is hundreds of years old...From here I say that the media may be the only one that can move the global conscience and the peoples against their regimes. Nothing can end this war except the fall of some regimes and their change of opinion,' he maintained. Makary stressed that Palestine has become a humanitarian issue, as we have reached a point where neutrality is forbidden. 'We are either with humanity, morals, humanity, culture, and the future, or we are with deviation, killing, bloodshed and the murder of children," he underlined. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon

Druze Sheikh Al-Aql, Sami Abi Al-Muna, contacted today Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, expressing his solidarity, and denouncing the recent incitement campaign waged against him in wake of his humanitarian stance towards southern families. Sheikh Al-Aql stressed, 'The nation's greatest need, more than ever before, is for internal, national and spiritual solidarity and for the combined efforts of all believers to preserve our country, which is on the brink of war, to save it from the grave dangers that threaten its existence and future, due to the repeated Israeli attacks on it, at a very critical moment. that Lebanon and the region are passing through...' Abi Al-Muna also called on 'the international community to exert pressure on Israel to stop its ongoing brutal aggression against Gaza for about a month and a half, which has abolished all humanitarian, charter and legal prohibitions, committing the most severe criminal atrocities and human genocides that no mind can imagine..." S ource: National News Agency - Lebanon

Lebanese Forces Party Chief, Samir Geagea, considered that 'the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, wants to get rid of Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, for two reasons, namely that the Army Chief was able to build an entity status for the military institution and prevent him (Bassil) from interfering in it, especially with regard to military formations...while the second reason lies in the fact that Bassil fears the Army Chief on grounds that the 'Aounists' listen to him, and hence, he can possibly be a competitor to him...' Geagea's words came during his meeting today at the LF general headquarters in Maarab, with students from 'Sagesse' and 'Sacred Family' Universities following their victory in the recent student elections held on their campuses. 'Despite everything we are witnessing in Lebanon, Palestine, Gaza, and the entire region, we see that Bassil's main concern today is removing Joseph Aoun from the army leadership, in the midst of this difficult circumstance...' Geagea af firmed. He hailed the Army Commander's success in managing the military institution throughout the past six years which were filled with numerous challenges, saying: 'Therefore, starting from here, this post ought not to be changed, especially since everyone knows well that in times of war, officers are not changed.' Referring to the students visiting him, Geagea congratulated them on their achieved victory in the student elections and thanked them for their hard work, expressing his joy at the extent of their enthusiasm and hoping for a more promising future for the Lebanese Forces march. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon

House Speaker, Nabih Berri, mourned today the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ahmed Bahr, who fell as a martyr during the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Berri said in the obituary statement: 'In my personal name and in the name of the Lebanese Parliament, we extend to the family of the martyr and all Arab, regional and international parliamentary forums, organizations and unions our deepest condolences, and we place this crime along with other massacres committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip at the disposal of all the free people of the world and their representatives in parliaments and Shura councils." "Is there anyone who will deter Israel from stopping its machine of extermination and killing?" Berri wondered. He concluded that Ahmed Bahr has been lost as a distinguished parliamentarian...while Palestine has gained him as a fighter and martyr on the path to achieving the Palestinian dream of liberation and return. Source: National News Agency - Lebanon

Member of the Democratic Gathering, MP Hadi Abou Al-Hassan, indicated that the Progressive Socialist Party has always called for avoiding vacuum in any post in the country. In an interview with "Radio Free Lebanon" this morning, the MP said that the bloc's position is clear, "All state institutions must be empowered, the first of which is the military institution and the internal security forces,' adding, 'We called for avoiding vacuum by electing a president, yet it seems that the vacuum will be prolonged, so we asked for an extension for General Joseph Aoun due to his ethics in the institution and the need to appoint an authentic leader..." He added: "We do not bargain in the military institution and we look from a national perspective, as there must be an authentic commander of the army and we must take into account the principles of the balances agreed upon in Lebanon." Speaking about attempts to appoint a new army commander, Abou Al-Hassan explained that 'the figures proposed to lead the army are res pected, but when there is an appointment by consensus of the political forces, there will be a selection of one of the names, and when the political and Christian forces agree on a name, then we take a stance...' Abou Al-Hassan also indicated that 'Hezbollah wants to agree on a principle and take into account the Free Patriotic Movement,' explaining that 'if the army commander's file cannot be resolved in Parliament, then there are proposals for laws...at which time we discuss and prefer to resort to an extension.' Source: National News Agency - Lebanon

The executive body of the Ramgavar Party held its regular meeting this morning at the party's general headquarters in Saifi, where discussions touched on latest hour issues in the country and the region. After the meeting, the party announced in a statement, 'Given the current circumstances in the country and the region and to prevent a vacuum in the leadership of the most important security institution, which is the Lebanese Army, we support the mandate extension of Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, until the election of a new President of the Republic.' Source: National News Agency - Lebanon