In recent weeks, under the convenient banner of “freedom of expression,” a calculated and deeply malicious online smear campaign has been unfolding, driven by a network of paid, slanderous, and morally bankrupt propagandists. Their target: the dignity and integrity of Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel.

This campaign has shown blatant disregard for all ethical norms and legal principles. They rely on crude provocation, aiming to bait the Kataeb Party and its supporters into a reaction. Let it be clearly stated: the Party’s leadership has issued no instruction or directive to respond to these reckless and disgraceful outbursts.

The natural question arises: in whose interest is this campaign of distortion and disinformation being carried out? Who is funding such an orchestrated attack, one as disgraceful as the people behind it? And what are the true motives driving this smear operation against a party that represents a significant segment of Lebanese society?

Time and again, the Kataeb and its leader are dragged into quarrels between political opportunists and corrupt actors, a conflict that the Party has no stake in. These individuals embody the adage, “the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." They speak the language of sovereignty, yet betray a deep contempt for the very idea of a functioning state.

Let us be unequivocal: the Kataeb Party has no involvement, direct or indirect, in this toxic exchange between rival camps who expose one another one day and conspire together the next, all while tainting the national discourse. Through social media and fringe digital platforms, they disseminate venomous messages intended to erode public trust and tarnish the image of a party with a proud, historic legacy. They masquerade as reformers, yet promote ideas and narratives that corrode the fabric of society.

Undeniably, some people have made a career out of feeding off their own twisted, obsessive hatred of the Kataeb Party. That resentment becomes especially virulent during times of national relevance, such as the ongoing municipal elections. Were it not for the Party’s electoral performance and principled patriotic stance, these voices would find themselves with no audience, no content, and no relevance. In truth, they are parasites clinging to the very success they claim to despise. It is this success that disturbs them, pushing them further into their closed, self-imposed echo chambers that have long detached from truth and reality.

Their obsession betrays a deeper failure: an inability to confront the Party’s legitimate role in shaping Lebanon’s political future. Their hate is loud, but it is hollow.

Let’s be clear: these digital tirades are falling on deaf ear. Their reach has dwindled, their credibility eroded. And while they may still shout into the void, it’s evident they are speaking only to themselves.

Their time is over. Their tactics are tired. The Kataeb Party remains focused on what truly matters: building a sovereign, just, and democratic Lebanon. No smear campaign will change that.

This is an English adaptation of an Arabic article posted on Kataeb.org by Chady Hilani.