by arabnews.com -- LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Lebanon said relations with Lebanon were too deep to be affected by “irresponsible and absurd statements.” Waleed Bukhari said the Lebanese Iran-backed Hezbollah’s terrorist activities and regional military behavior threatened Arab national security in a statement to AFP. His comments came two days after Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said criticism of the Kingdom by the leader of the Hezbollah group did not serve the national interest or represent the country’s official stance.

The comments also followed a rift in relations between Lebanon and Gulf countries after a number of countries withdrew their ambassadors from Beirut in October and November in protest over statements made by then-information minister George Kordahi that were critical of the Kingdom’s role in the Yemen war. “Riyadh hopes that the political parties will give priority to the supreme interest of Lebanon... and end Hezbollah’s terrorist hegemony over every aspect of the state,” Bukhari said. He added that Hezbollah’s terrorist insistence to impose its control disrupts peace in Lebanon and called on the Lebanese government to stop its activities that are affecting the Kingdom and the Gulf region, Al Arabiya reported.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

تعودُ إليَّ صورةُ يَسوع على الصليبِ وقد عَطِش إلى نُقطةِ ماءٍ، فتَقدّمَ جُنديٌّ يهوديٌّ "وأخَذَ إسْفَنجةً ومَلأها خَلًّا وجَعلَها على قَصَبةٍ وسَقاه" ليزيدَ مرارةَ عذاباتِه. المسؤولون ـــ وأيُّ مسؤولين! ـــ عِوضَ أن يُهْدوا الشعبَ اللبنانيَّ المعذَّبَ والعَطشانَ نُقطةَ ماءٍ في مَطلَعِ السنةِ الجديدةِ، قَصَفوه بوابلِ الإطلالاتِ البُكائيّةِ، والخِطاباتِ العَدائيّةِ، والمؤتمراتِ المتأخِّرةِ، والتصاريحِ الـمُلفَّقةِ، والسِجالاتِ المضَلِّلة غيرَ عابئين بمعاناتِه. بِـمَ نَصِفُ هذا التصَرّفَ؟ قِلّةُ مسؤوليّةٍ؟ قِلَّةُ وطنيّةٍ؟ قِلّةُ حياءٍ؟ قِلّةُ ذوقٍ؟ قِلّةُ إحْساسٍ؟ قِلّةُ مبالاةٍ؟ قِلّةُ شَفَقةٍ؟ هذا فائضٌ من كلِّ ذلك. أهلُ الفيلقِ لا يَعتبرُون اللبنانيّين مجموعةً بشريّةً تَتمتّعُ بمشاعرَ، بل مجموعةَ أحْجارٍ جامدةٍ يَتراشقون بها. أهلُ الفيلقِ، حتّى لو اخْتلفوا في ما بينهم، سُرعان ما يتّفِقون ما أن يَشعروا بأنَّ اختلافاتِهم تُعرِّضُ أمنَ منظومتِهم. وهذا ما حصلَ أمس حين تَبادلوا ــــ مبدئيًّا ـــ انعقادَ مجلسِ الوزراءِ بفتحِ دورةٍ استثنائيّةٍ للمجلسِ النيابي.

بين نهايةِ 2021 وبدايةِ 2022، كان الشعبُ المتعَبُ يَخترعُ الآمالَ ويَختلِقُ الرجاءَ، حتّى أنّه زوّرَ الأفراحَ وضَحِكَ على نفسِه بحثًا عن هِدنةٍ نفسيّةٍ. لكنَّ فيلَقَ السلطةِ أعادَه إلى سجنِ السنواتِ الخمسِ المنصرِمةِ، وأكّدَ له أنَّ السادسةَ لن تكونَ اسْتثناء، و"أنتَ في جُهنّمٍ وفي جُهنّم ستَبقى". وَدِدْتُ لو أنَّ أحدَ أركانِ الفيلَق حَدَّثَ الناسَ عن الناس. أخَبرَهم عن تَصوُّرِه للسنةِ المقبِلة، عن المستقبلِ والمصير، عن كيفيّةِ الخروجِ من الأزْمةِ، عن مصيرِ أموالِـهم المسروقة، عن مصالحةِ الدولةِ مع الناسِ لا عن حوارٍ عقيمٍ بين أهلِ الفيلق. وَدِدتُ لو جالَ رئيسُ الجُمهوريّةِ في المناطقِ وحاورَ اللبنانيّين مثلما فَعلَ الرئيسُ الفرنسيُّ، إيمانويل ماكرون، سنةَ 2020 بعد تظاهراتِ "القمصان الصفراء".

هذه الأيّام تَنتشرُ عبارةُ "الكرامة" بين أهلِ السلطةِ ويَتذرّعون بها ليَرفُضوا جميعَ الحلولِ والتسوياتِ بين اللبنانيّين، وبين اللبنانيّين ودولِ العربِ والعالم. يَتحدّثون عن الكرامةِ وهم الّذين انتهكوا كرامةَ اللبنانيّين ورأسَهم العالي. يتحدّثون عن الكرامةِ وهم تَنازلوا عن كراماتِهم أمامَ وُلاتِهم وأوليائِهم وولاءاتِهم. وفاقدُ الشيءِ لا يُعطيه. قد تَغفِرُ الشعوبُ أخطاءَ حكّامِها وزعمائِها لكنّها لا تَغفِر لمن انتهَكَ كرامتَها الشخصيّةَ والجماعيّة. ولا أرى اللبنانيّين يَشُذّون عن هذه القاعدةِ، هُم الّذين لاذُوا فُرادى وجَماعاتٍ إلى جبالِ لبنان من أجلِ الحرّيةِ والكرامة.

BEIRUT, (Reuters) – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Wednesday he will convene the Cabinet within days for the first time in …

Abbas Ibrahim head of Lebanon General Security 

by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English -- The head of Lebanon’s General Security may have landed himself and his country in hot water after intervening in a US lawsuit that initially accused Iran of ordering the detainment and detention of a Lebanese-American citizen. The family of Amer Fakhoury, who had worked with an Israeli-backed militia in southern Lebanon until 2000, is now suing Lebanon, the General Security and its chief, Abbas Ibrahim, who is known for negotiating prisoner swaps and freeing captives, including US citizens. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Fakhoury worked as a senior warden at the notorious Khiam Prison in south Lebanon, run by the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA), before Israel ended its 18-year occupation in 2000. His family says he worked at the prison but never had contact with inmates and did not torture prisoners. Despite being accused by Lebanese officials of torturing prisoners during his time with the SLA, Fakhoury’s lawyer said he was given assurances that he could enter Lebanon after nearly 20 years. He reportedly met with Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, during a visit to Boston before traveling to Lebanon. According to a lawsuit by the family, Fakhoury was also in contact with a member of Aoun’s presidential office.

He was detained in Beirut in September 2019 and released the following March. But a travel ban was placed on him after a military judge appealed the decision. Nevertheless, he was flown out of the country following a movie-like operation from the US Embassy in Beirut. Fakhoury died just months after returning to the US. His family has accused Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah of being part of Tehran’s order to detain and torture Fakhoury. “The Iranians were hoping to pressure the Trump Administration to trade the captive American for a Hezbollah operative, Kassim Tajideen, a Lebanese national who was imprisoned in the US for his role in financing Hezbollah terrorist activities around the world,” a statement from Fakhoury’s family and lawyer said on Wednesday. As a result, Fakhoury’s family sued the government of Iran in a US federal court last year.