Kataeb Political Bureau Member Joelle Bou Abboud pointed out that the campaign of defamation launched by the 'resistance' crowd is not a new campaign, saying that "this campaign began since the outbreak of Gaza war against the opposition by Hezbollah to involve us in its adventures."

 

"This defamation campaign was not limited to targeting MP Samy Gemayel; but also targeted Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi as well," Bou Abboud said in an interview with LBCI.

 

"It's an unsuccessful attempt by Hezbollah to intimidate the opposition in Lebanon as it seeks complete control over the country. Using the pretext of supporting Gaza and Hamas in the ongoing war is nothing but an attempt to bolster its position in the upcoming negotiations," she noted.

 

She emphasized that efforts to unify and broaden the opposition are ongoing nationally, with opposition members from all sects coming together to confront the project of armed domination over Lebanon and the republic.

 

She underscored the strong internal opposition to Hezbollah's actions leading Lebanon into wars and employing a policy of imposition, stating, "Our role today lies in resilience and confrontation until the appropriate time for changing the equation arises."

 

"We are currently engaging with all factions of the opposition including Lebanese Forces, independent MPs and opinion leaders. We agree on the importance of unifying efforts, especially after the renewed defamation campaigns following the outbreak of Gaza war. There are regular coordination meetings, and work is also underway to create a more organized framework for the opposition," she added.

 

Bou Abboud stressed that "Israel is an enemy and does not need a pretext to attack Lebanon, but Hezbollah is the one who opened the southern front, as Nasrallah affirmed, not to liberate Lebanese territories, but to support Gaza."

"Everyone talks about the settlers who evacuated their homes in northern Israel, and about the Lebanese youth who are dying in support of Gaza, but what about the residents of the south who have been displaced and the students who are absent from their schools? What about the agricultural seasons lost by the people of the south due to the war?" she asked.

"The most important thing today is to return to the issue of presidential elections and push towards electing a new president of the republic as soon as possible, and to restore order to the institutions starting with the parliament," she stressed.

"There should be no normalization with the presidential vacuum, and the Parliament Speaker should now call for consecutive sessions to elect a president. Discussing dialogue in the manner proposed to reach consensus on the presidential candidate is rejected," she stated.

 

"The model of a Hezbollah-affiliated presidential candidate is categorically rejected because it contradicts our political and historical convictions. The ascent of such a candidate signifies normalization with authoritarian regimes, similar to the Iranian regime, which killed activist Mahsa Amini for expressing her opinion," Bou Abboud concluded.