Jumblat urges Arabs to unite and act in face of 'growing Zionist threats'

by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 February 2025, 13:12

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat urged Arab countries to unite in order to protect the security of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Jumblat's statements came ahead of an emergency Arab League summit and days after Israel said that Israeli forces would stay in parts of southern Syria and southern Lebanon for an indefinite period.

Arab leaders will meet in Cairo on March 4 to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to turn war-torn Gaza into a resort and resettle displaced Gazans in Egypt and Jordan.

"The Zionist threats are growing, destroying Gaza, invading the West Bank, and Syria's Mount Hermon," Jumblat said after a meeting with President Joseph Aoun in Baabda. "The Arabs cannot remain in their reserve trenches," he added. "Protecting Arab national security begins with Lebanon, Syria and Jordan."

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that Israel has received a U.S. green light to keep its forces on five strategic hills in south Lebanon.

"We received a green light from the United States and we are staying indefinitely -- this is situation-dependent, not time-dependent," Katz said at a conference, few days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would also indefinitely stay in parts of southern Syria and will not allow Syria's new army to "enter the area south of Damascus".

Lebanon's new government, which on Wednesday won a confidence vote in Parliament after a devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah, said in its statement that Lebanon has the right to defend itself against Israel and to liberate the occupied land, but that only the Lebanese army should defend the country, and not Hezbollah.

The Druze leader said he hopes the new President and Prime Minister will succeed in bringing stability and reforms to the war and crisis-hit country, despite the great challenges.

Source: Naharnet

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