Lebanon: Hezbollah complicates Kurdahi’s crisis

30th October 2021

3 minutes read

Lebanon’s Hezbollah has further complicated the Saudi-Lebanese crisis by threatening the resignation of its two ministers from Najib Mikati’s cabinet if Information Minister George Kurdahi steps down.

A crisis erupted between some Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon after the broadcast of a meeting of Kurdahi attacking the Gulf countries and their role in the Yemen war. At the same time, Kurdahi defended himself saying: My comments reflect my “personal opinion” before my appointment on 10 September.

“So far, Kurdahi has refused to resign, despite demands from Mikati and Lebanese President Michel Aoun, and Hezbollah’s position is hardening Kurdahi’s position and blocking a solution”.

Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported that Hezbollah once again informed the Lebanese prime minister that the resignation of the information minister, who caused a crisis with Saudi Arabia, would be met with the resignation of the two “Hezbollah” ministers, which means a new political escalation between the two sides.

Sunni and former government figures advised Mikati to resign immediately because he or his government cannot handle a similar crisis, a position Prime Minister Saad Hariri emphasized, according to Janoubia.

According to the same source, the information indicates that if Kurdahi does not resign, Mikati will do it, as will Health and Environment Ministers Firas Abiad and Nasser Yassine, thus losing the Sunni Charter government, and Interior Minister Bassam Moulaoui and Economy Minister Amin Salam may join them.

Saad Hariri said: “That relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and the other Arab Gulf countries reach this level of irresponsibility and bullying with inflated ideas means that we as Lebanese are indeed living in hell”, he said, pointing out that “the policies of carelessness and superiority in the name of sovereignty and empty slogans have decided to lead Lebanon to an Arab isolation unprecedented in its history”.

“The responsibility lies first and foremost with Hezbollah, which spreads hostility towards the Arabs and the Arab Gulf states, and also with the covenant, which hands over matters to political and media dwarfs and those who undermine the dignity of Arab leaders,” Hariri said. “Saudi Arabia and all the Arab Gulf states will not be a crushing rod for Iranian policies in the region, and Lebanon’s sovereignty will not be straightened by an aggression against the sovereignty of Arab countries and endangering the interests and security of sister nations to the risks imported from Iran,” he added.

He continued: “You want a state with sovereignty and national dignity. Lift Iran’s hand from Lebanon. Stop the policies of arrogance and the raising of fingers, and threaten the Lebanese with an army that is several times larger than the state’s army and its security and military institutions”.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt tweeted: “Enough disasters, remove this minister, who will destroy our relations with the Arab Gulf before it will too late, for how long will the stupidity, conspiracy and agents of Lebanese internal and foreign policy become worse?”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said: ‏Apart from all the intellectual theories we hear from some people at the present time, there is a very big, rolling crisis between the Gulf countries and the Lebanese government, he added: The current Government majority is called upon to take a swift, decisive and clear decision to spare the Lebanese people further tragedies.

He continued: It is enough that the current majority has put the government on hold at the beginning of its journey, but to go further and to disrupt all of Lebanon’s relations with its Arab environment. This is a major tragedy, there is no tragedy after that.