Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, January 09, 2025
LEBANON – Newly elected President of Lebanon, Mr. Joseph Aoun has outlined how he will preserve the rights of Palestinians and maintain relationship with the Arab and Gulf States, Syria and the rest of the world.
Joseph Aoun who was speaking shortly after his election in parliament said he will refuse giving Palestinians Lebanese citizenship, to preserve their right to go home based on the two-state solution that Lebanon accepted in 2001 and based on the Arab Peace attempt.
“I promise to make good relationship with the Arab states and gulf”, he said.
He promised to get an army that will counter Israeli violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
He said he will ensure that the security forces are active.
“We will discuss the national defense strategy to protect against the enemies including Israel and I stress (twice) that the government is solely responsible for countering Israel”, he said.
He said that being president is a big honor for him.
“My presidency comes during a shift in the Middle east when alliances collapsed and Regimes fell and borders changed but Lebanon stayed.
“Lebanon stayed despite the wars and aggression and explosions and the failure to handle the crisis.
“All sects are Lebanese and part of Lebanon, no matter how we fight, we are always together.
“We are in a political crisis that requires us to work to protect our borders and economy, etc etc.
“Today starts a new phase in Lebanon where I vow to serve Lebanon to uphold the national consensus.
“No mafia, no money laundry, no illegal security zones, or drug trafficking, or interference in judiciary or protection of the corrupt.
“I will work with the new government to secure the independence of the judiciary. I promise to begin forming a government soon and start negotiating with the parliament.
“I will play my role as the commander of the armed forces to stress that the state exclusively has the right to bare arms.
“We will invest in the army to ensure the border is preserved in south Lebanon and finalized in the east with Syria. We will get an army that will fight smuggling and terrorists
“We will discuss the national defense strategy to protect against the enemies including Israel and I stress (twice) that the government is solely responsible for countering Israel.
“I promise to rebuild what the Israeli army has destroyed in Dahyeh, Beqaa, and south Lebanon.
“I salute the martyrs (Hezbullah) whose soles are our spirit of steadfast and that the prisoners now on Israel are our responsibility and we owe them freedom”.
“We will refuse any attempts to sabotage and interfere with the Arab states, and we will stay neutral about any Arab conflict.
“We will not tolerate exporting anything to these Arabs but our produce.
“We will talk with Syria to resolve the pending conflicts to preserve sovereignty and stop smuggling and look for those missing during the civil war (1975-1990).
We will have mutual cooperation with the world
