Statement by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: "Today, we hear those accusing the political leadership of having 'helped Israel instead of supporting Lebanon's sovereignty,' while calling for…

❗️Statement by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: "Today, we hear those accusing the political leadership of having 'helped Israel instead of supporting Lebanon's sovereignty,' while calling for dialogue and unity as if the Lebanese people have no memory. The truth is that the greatest service to Israel was rendered by those who unilaterally dragged Lebanon into futile 'support' wars, providing Israel with pretexts to attack our country, violate its sovereignty, destroy its cities and villages, kill its people, and displace hundreds of thousands. Those who monopolized the decision to go to war and continue trying to usurp the state's authority by tying Lebanon to external agendas and regional axes, while ignoring the interests of their own community and the Lebanese people as a whole, are in no position to hand out certificates of patriotism, let alone sovereignty. There can be no sovereignty for Lebanon except through a single, independent national decision within a state that has one army and exercises exclusive authority over its entire territory through its own institutions alone. As for dialogue and unity, they can only be built through the courage to acknowledge painful truths and accept responsibility for reckless choices whose heavy consequences the Lebanese people are still paying. The state remains the protector of all Lebanese, especially our people who have endured one loss after another. It remains committed to ending the Israeli occupation of every inch of our land, securing the return of all our detainees, ensuring the conditions for the safe and dignified return of our people to their towns, villages, fields, and homes, and rebuilding them in a way that helps heal the wounds of families who have lost loved ones and livelihoods. It also remains true that abandoning the language of accusations of treason and being sincere in calls for dialogue and national solidarity is the most effective path to strengthening Lebanon's ability to confront these immense challenges."