Lebanon’s absence from the recent MBS’ Riyadh summit with former U.S. President Donald Trump should not go unnoticed — or unchallenged. It is not merely a missed diplomatic engagement; it is a glaring symptom of our national paralysis.
We must raise this question loud and clear: why was Lebanon not invited?
The answer lies, yet again, in the unresolved contradiction at the heart of our State — the continued presence of Hezbollah’s arms, operating outside the control of the Lebanese State. This duality undermines our sovereignty, weakens our institutions, and alienates us from the international and Arab consensus on the future of the region.
As a country, we are squandering precious opportunities. Syria’s Sharaa got an invite because he took strong positions and made clear statements. This summit was not just about optics. It was a gathering signaling the shaping of a new Middle East — one driven by economic integration, political realignment, and shared visions for peace and prosperity. While others are building their place in the future, we are standing still, watching from the sidelines — irrelevant, voiceless, and increasingly isolated.
When Trump mentioned Lebanon, it was only to highlight what we could become — if we choose to act like a serious State. He directly pointed to the disasters Hezbollah has inflicted on Lebanon: the economic collapse, the plundering of national wealth, the international isolation, and the hijacking of our institutions.
Durable peace is the foundation of sustainable prosperity. The prerequisite is national clarity: do we want to be a serious sovereign State that reclaims its decision-making and partners with the world in a shared vision of stability and growth, or do we want to remain trapped in a cycle of crisis — a crisis rooted in disastrous decisions made around 1969 and perpetuated ever since — choosing stagnation over sovereignty, appeasement over Constitution, silence over statehood?
Lebanon’s future hinges on this choice. If we do not act, others will shape the region without us. And we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
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