Lebanese leaders voiced out their concerns again on Thursday, in light of the ongoing developments in Syria between the Druze of Sweida and the Syrian regime forces. As they fear a spillover into Lebanon, they called for calm and caution to protect Lebanon from further instability.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam spoke by phone with former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt. According to sources quoted by Al-Markazia, the two discussed the need for restraint in Lebanon. Salam praised Jumblatt’s continuing efforts to ease tensions and prevent unrest, saying that his role, along with others across the country, was “essential to safeguarding Lebanon’s stability and reinforcing the state as the ultimate reference for all Lebanese.”
They also agreed on “the importance of preserving Syria’s unity” and encouraged “understanding among all Syrians under the umbrella of the Syrian state.”
MP Marwan Hamadeh, a member of the Democratic Gathering bloc and a longtime ally of Joumblatt, shared his concerns in an interview with Voice of All Lebanon. “Everything happening in Syria is a source of concern for Walid Joumblatt,” he said, pointing to both the situation of the Druze community and the overall state of the regime.
Hamadeh warned that Israel was exploiting Syria’s crisis to sow division. “It aims to create a breach that could lead to new divisions and a redrawn map of the region,” he said. He added that such developments could harm Lebanon and distort the image of the Druze in the Arab world, “falsely portraying them as collaborators with Israel, which they definitely aren’t.”
On the same note, Hamadeh warned that Lebanon is “moving from one landmine to another,” and said many more dangers lie ahead.
He stressed that Hezbollah’s weapons remain a central issue. “The party must be persuaded to hand over its arms,” he said, arguing that the state must be the sole provider of security for all Lebanese.
Spiritual leader of the Druze, Sheikh Sami Abil-Mona, who strongly condemned the unrest in Syria’s Sweida province, expressed fears of unrest in Lebanon. “We do not accept chaos spilling over into Lebanon, nor the transfer of sedition here, we categorically reject this,” he said in a live interview on MTV Lebanon. He noted ongoing communication with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian and added, “We must stand united during these difficult times to ward off strife and prevent extremism.”
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