At the annual dinner of the Zahrani District Committee, Head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, affirmed the South’s enduring role in defending Lebanon and rejected superficial approaches to the disarmament debate.
On returning to Zahrani
“We first came to this district in 2018. Since then, circumstances known to all have prevented us from gathering again. But when the idea of holding a dinner arose, we insisted that it was not you who should come to us—the South must never be left behind. It is we who must come to you,” Bassil said.
On the South’s national role
“We recognize the South’s vital role in Lebanon, as well as the importance of preserving a Christian presence here—not only for Lebanon as a whole, but also for this steadfast and resilient South that has sacrificed for all its people. Every martyr who fell here gave his life not only for the South, but for all of Lebanon. When the South falls, Beirut falls; and when Beirut falls, the Mountain falls. Your struggle was never just for your land—it was for the entire nation. May God have mercy on the martyrs of the South and of Lebanon.”
On Christian presence and coexistence
“The Christian presence is essential in every region of Lebanon. Our mission is to live in harmony with all communities. If Christians in what some call the peripheries—the South, the North, the Bekaa—lose their role, then Christian presence everywhere in Lebanon loses its meaning, and Lebanon itself loses its essence. We have always spoken with you about rights, coexistence, and integration with your neighbors. The recent municipal elections confirmed that the FPM remains committed to working alongside all the communities in the towns where it is present.”
On Zahrani’s role
“Zahrani and the villages east of Sidon form a vital link between Sidon and Jezzine. This district embodies Lebanon’s diversity, and your role is to safeguard that connection. I know you seek direct representation to affirm your identity—not to isolate yourselves, but to assert your place. Unfortunately, the electoral law does not guarantee this everywhere, particularly in the South, where there are already Christian MPs, including Michel Moussa. Still, nationwide we succeeded in passing a law that ensures fairer representation, granting Lebanese abroad the right to vote either in their home districts or in their countries of residence. This helped correct imbalances both inside Lebanon and within its diaspora.”
On electoral reform
“We are witnessing attempts to amend the law for narrow political interests, and we count on you to reject them. You are not a minority here, because presence is not defined by numbers. Christians have never derived their value from numbers—otherwise, who would we be in this East?”
On Lebanon’s regional role
“Our message was born in this Levant. Our strength lies in being a bridge—living in peace with our people, our partners, and our surroundings. The South, despite wars and destruction, is not just a battlefield; it is also a land of life. We do not reject peace with anyone, for peace is made not between friends, but between enemies. No one should feel ashamed to seek peace, as long as it is grounded in dignity and rights. What we reject is surrender.”
On opponents’ positions
“It saddens me to see some willing to sell everything just to satisfy those they follow. How can anyone abandon the rights of their own community—the Orthodox electoral law, the vote of Lebanese abroad, decentralization, national rights? How can they ignore what is happening in Syria, in Sweida, and elsewhere, where even ceasefires are not respected? Yet they are told to focus on one issue alone: disarming Hezbollah, even by force, even at the cost of civil war.”
On weapons and defense
“The difference is clear. We want one army and a single source of arms under the authority of the state. Hezbollah, and anyone else bearing weapons, must understand that circumstances have changed. Defending Lebanon today requires different tools. The real mistake was tying Lebanon to foreign agendas and interests—a mistake for which we have paid dearly, both at home and abroad. We have opposed this since 2006. Since then, President Michel Aoun has called for a defensive strategy—not an offensive one against Israel, nor one aimed at liberating Palestine. Our duty is to defend Lebanon; the Palestinians’ duty is to liberate Palestine. This is why we reject Palestinian weapons, both inside and outside the camps.”
On Palestinian weapons
“Take the recent case in Bourj el-Barajneh. Who are you fooling? Is this how you plan to address Palestinian weapons? If this is the model you intend to apply to Hezbollah’s arms as well, then good luck—you have already failed.”
On the Palestinian issue in the South
“Just a few kilometers away lie the Mieh Mieh and Ain al-Hilweh camps. I know how many towns in Zahrani have suffered since 1948, when Palestinians arrived and locals lost their land. Even with the law we passed to ensure equal treatment with other displaced groups, you have yet to regain your rights. Your lands remain confiscated, and you continue to bear the burden of hosting refugees—because we want the Palestinian cause to succeed with Jerusalem as its capital, not through a one-sided state. From a Christian perspective, exclusivity is unacceptable.
Opposing Palestinian weapons does not mean opposing the Palestinian cause. That cause must be defended from Palestine, not Lebanon. What is happening in Gaza is a tragedy, and we stand in solidarity with its people. But their war cannot be fought from our land. Just as they were displaced, we cannot allow them to displace us again. The South has already endured displacement and destruction many times.”
On disarmament and sovereignty
“Some repeat the same demands as Israel—disarmament—without asking for an end to its aggression or any guarantees. Our authorities keep making concessions without securing anything in return, giving Israel yet another excuse to delay handing over weapons and dragging us back into war and destruction.
Where is the government? Why does it not speak of reconstruction the way it speaks of disarmament? For our people to live with dignity, they must know that these weapons have served their purpose in defending Lebanon. But now, they must be entrusted to the Lebanese army—not discarded at the behest of foreign powers. True patriotism and true freedom mean standing firm against any aggression or decision that threatens our existence, our rights, or our dignity.”
Closing
“We want to preserve this land and remain rooted in it. You must be the bridge between Sidon and Jezzine—not the other way around. We call for genuine dialogue and a real defensive strategy. We support the transfer of weapons to the state, but not as part of empty displays. We support giving the army missions it can actually achieve—missions that guarantee success—not sending it to fail because of reckless decisions. The real disaster is when a government takes a decision and either implements it in a way that leads to war, or fails to implement it at all, stripping the state of its authority once again. That is the difference between true leadership and blind obedience,” Bassil concluded.