While the pace of collapse continues in the various facilities of the country, a new debate arose on the political scene in Lebanon, following the call of the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai to "internationalize the Lebanese file", considering that the poor conditions in the country reached a point that necessitated his case at an international conference sponsored by the United Nations.
And since the formation of a new government headed by Saad Hariri had faltered, the shepherd’s call, which he announced in the Sunday sermon, was the first of its kind by the highest Christian authority.
Then, on Monday, were followed by statements by Pope Francis of the Vatican on the need for "Lebanon to witness a political commitment, both nationally and internationally, that contributes to strengthening stability in a country facing the risk of losing its national identity and plunging into regional tensions and tensions," warning against "weakening the Christian component." Which threatens to destroy the internal balance. "
Analysts said that the timing of these calls comes in light of the failure of the French initiative, which the French seek to save, with President Emmanuel Macron's contacts with the Americans and some Arab countries, which explains Al-Rahi's announcement that all "Lebanese, Arab and international initiatives and mediations have been exhausted."
Ali Murad: There is Arab and international indifference to the scale of the disaster in Lebanon (Al-Jazeera)
What does internationalization mean?
It can be said that al-Ra’i set problematic addresses that push from his point of view to present the country's issue in a special international conference, among which is addressing the unity of the entity and the system of neutrality, providing permanent guarantees for the Lebanese presence, putting an end to the multiplicity of weapons (which affects Hezbollah), and bridging the constitutional and procedural gaps in order to avoid disrupting The machinery of government at every eligibility to elect a president and form a government.
The stations of "internationalization" were a critical juncture between one stage and another prior to the end of the civil war, starting with the Taif Agreement in Saudi Arabia (1989), then the Saint-Cloud Agreement in Paris (2007), and the Doha Agreement (2008), which ended a crisis between loyalist and opposition forces that lasted 18 months.
This is what the Lebanese academic Ali Murad attributes to, considering that the call for internationalization is the result of the lack of equal opportunities in managing the political dispute, especially after the return of the political assassination that finally reached the researcher and anti-Hezbollah activist Luqman Salim.
However, the paradox of the sponsor’s invitation, according to Murad, is that it is rare after the civil war 40 years ago. Lebanon is not on the regional agenda under the pressure of “internationalized” conflicts, from the Yemeni file to the Syrian, Iraqi and Libyan file, he said.
Murad told Al-Jazeera Net that raising the Lebanese issue in an international conference does not await the request of the Lebanese, but requires an international will, and that “while there is Arab and international indifference to the scale of the disaster, specifically after the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, it is as if there is a recognition of hegemony. Hezbollah and its successor Iran, on the Lebanese reality. "
The academic links between the Patriarch’s call and the Pope’s call on the basis of raising fear that the economic crisis threatens the Christian existence, but “even this obsession that the church bells rang in Rome has not met with an international response to direct intervention to save Lebanon.”
Pluralism of arms
Some of the forces saw that the sponsor's proposal to discuss "the plurality of weapons" would open the doors of the outside to interfere in the Lebanese affairs, which led to a vertical division of positions between Hezbollah's allies and opponents.
Here, Qasim Hashem, deputy of the Development and Liberation Bloc (headed by Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah), believes that Al-Rahi's call is not in place, "because the dispute over forming the government is an internal crisis related to political and factional interests and gains."
And that going to internationalization is fraught with great risks at a crucial stage surrounded by the intersection of interests internationally.
Hashem told Al-Jazeera Net that the majority of the world has become an incubator for the Israeli enemy, which poses an existential threat to Lebanon, while occupying part of its land in the Shebaa farms, and tampering with its oil and water wealth at the borders.
Hashem refused to address the issue of "pluralism of weapons," al-Ra'i, recalling the defense strategy that guarantees the right to resistance, making Hezbollah's weapons, according to his opinion, not subject to discussion internally or internationally.
Mustafa Alloush: Internationalization has become the only solution (Al-Jazeera)
However, the deputy of the Future Movement (headed by Hariri), Mustafa Alloush, is surprised by the opposition to the sponsor's invitation, given that Lebanon is an already internationalized country, especially since the launch of the French initiative in August 2020.
He believed in an interview - to Al-Jazeera Net - that internationalization has become the only solution, and that postponing the discussion of the illegality of Hezbollah's weapons is nothing but an escape from the essence of the crisis, which has become in need of great international pressure, after all internal initiatives have failed.
Alloush pointed out that his political movement supports the sponsor’s call, and remembers that it was the regional goals of Hezbollah’s weapons that made Lebanon a country capable of internationalization.
As for the warnings of some powers that internationalization could pave the way for the imposition of the provisions of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, which authorizes the Security Council to intervene in the event of a "threat to the peace or breach of it, or what happened was an act of aggression";
In it, Alloush finds intimidation on the Lebanese people to intimidate them "because the implementation of its provisions calls for a major emergency event."
Observers believed that the sponsor's invitation may cause great embarrassment to the President of the Republic and his political team, which has the majority of Christian representation in Parliament.
Although no official position has been issued from the Free Patriotic Movement (headed by Gebran Bassil), Bassil's advisor - Antoine Constantine - confirmed the rejection of the internationalization of the Lebanese file, and specified - for Al-Jazeera Net - the areas in which Lebanon could request international cooperation, such as addressing the Corona epidemic and recovering money Looted, forensic investigation and investigations into the port explosion.
"We cannot accept the internationalization of the internal affairs of government formation, or the issue of developing the system and researching the constitution," he added.
Constantine said that his movement understands the position of the sponsor, which seeks to neutralize Lebanon from the region's conflicts.
And, "We also reject Hezbollah's intervention in conflicts outside Lebanon's borders, but the discussion about weapons is under the framework of the defensive strategy to confront Israel, without forgetting Hezbollah's previous confrontation with terrorism coming from the eastern borders."
The advisor explains his team's refusal to push them into sectarian approaches, considering that the Pope's wishes are a true testimony to what the Christian role in Lebanon symbolizes.
At a time when crises are exacerbating and political cards are mixed, Lebanon awaits an expected political position from Hariri regarding the formation of the government on the anniversary of the assassination of his father Rafik Hariri on February 14, while the French efforts are active with talk about a possible visit soon by the Macron representative - Patrick Durrell - to Lebanon .