BICOM

The President and Prime Minister of Lebanon clashed this week over the role of Hezbollah, revealing the extent of divisions within Lebanese society over the Shi’ite terror group.

On Sunday, President of Lebanon Michael Aoun told the Egyptian TV network CBC that “as long as the Lebanese army is not strong enough to battle Israel… we feel the need for its existence”. He also said that Iran’s support for the group “could continue indefinitely”.

Aoun’s Christian party is allied with Hezbollah and he has previously pledged to “release what is left of our lands from the Israeli occupation” upon taking office in November 2016.

However, yesterday Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, publically stated his desire to see Hezbollah disarmed and stressed the need for Lebanon to adhere to its principles.

Hariri said: “We have not made, and will not make, any compromise on principles such as… our stand on illegitimate arms and on Hezbollah’s Involvement in Syria.”

The Prime Minister was speaking at an event marking the anniversary of the assassination of his father Rafiq Hariri, who died in a February 2005 bomb attack in Beirut, which killed 22 people. Five Hezbollah members have been accused of involvement by the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the incident.

Responding to support for Hezbollah as a militia force in southern Lebanon, United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag reiterated the prohibition of “arms outside control of state” proscribed by UN resolution 1701. She said: “UN resolution 1701 is vital for Lebanon’s stability and security. The resolution calls for disarmament of all armed groups.”

Under long-standing agreements, Lebanon’s positions of power are shared by different ethnicities to reflect the country’s demographic mix: the President must be a Maronite Christian, its Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim and parliament’s speaker a Shi’ite Muslim. In December, Lebanon’s parliament approved a national unity government including Hezbollah representatives in the 30-member cabinet.

Israel estimates Hezbollah to possess over 100,000 missiles, including some capable of reaching all of Israel’s major cities.