NNA – Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel made clear on Friday that the Reconciliation and Truth Conference he has proposed has nothing to do with Hezbollahrsquo;s disarmament, stressing that this issue he says is no longer open for discussion.

In an interview withnbsp;LBCI, Gemayel emphasized that the ongoing presence of non-state weapons violates Lebanonrsquo;s Constitution, its laws, and the principle of equality among citizens.

ldquo;Reconciliation must address fears and acknowledge our shared history,rdquo; Gemayel said. ldquo;But it cannot and must not be used as a cover for the continued existence of weapons outside the authority of the State.rdquo;

ldquo;Truth-telling is not about legitimizing an illegal reality,rdquo; he added. ldquo;The presence of arms outside State control is a constitutional, legal, and moral violation. Reconciliation should never entertain the idea of preserving them.rdquo;

Gemayel expressed cautious optimism about Lebanonrsquo;s future, saying the country has emerged from a period of ldquo;suffocating tutelagerdquo; and is ldquo;on the right path.rdquo; However, he warned that progress remains fragile as long as some groups believe they can enforce their will through arms.

ldquo;As long as anyone thinks they can dominate others with their arsenal, we will never reach common ground,rdquo; he said.

He stressed that Lebanonrsquo;s national story must reflect all of its communities#39; experiences. ldquo;We have to acknowledge every narrative and then work together to see if we can arrive at a shared one,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Letrsquo;s agree on how to live together and build a State that respects everyonemdash;a place where people are treated with dignity, and where hope for the future is real.rdquo;

Telling onersquo;s story, he added, should not come at the expense of others#39;. ldquo;Recognizing each otherrsquo;s experiences is where rebuilding begins.rdquo;

Gemayel lamented that most Lebanesemdash;especially the youthmdash;are unfamiliar with each otherrsquo;s histories, having grown up in isolated and divided communities.

ldquo;Even Irsquo;m still learning new things about other peoplersquo;s stories, and Irsquo;m supposed to be informed,rdquo; he said.

He blamed the lack of collective truth on both domestic and foreign interference. ldquo;The Syrian regime worked for years to prevent reconciliation among the Lebanese,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Later, Hezbollah and the Iranian regime continued that strategy. But today, 50 years later, with no foreign power stopping us from speaking, we have a real chance to talkmdash;and to think about the future together.rdquo;

Justice, he insisted, must go hand in hand with reconciliation. Political assassinations in Lebanon, he said, must not be allowed to go unpunished.

ldquo;The 1990 Taif Agreement granted amnesty for wartime actionsmdash;but not for political murders,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Just like in South Africa, accountability must be part of reconciliation.rdquo;

He warned that any new chapter in Lebanonrsquo;s history must not come at the expense of justice. ldquo;Reconciliation does not mean halting judicial proceedings. Those must continue in parallel. If we want to turn the page, we must do so concerning armed groupsmdash;but not political assassinations. Those can never be subject to amnesty.rdquo;

Gemayel called for a national consensus to end Lebanonrsquo;s repeated cycles of conflict. ldquo;Every five years we face a new warmdash;sometimes internal, sometimes fueled by internal actors on behalf of outside powers,rdquo; he said. ldquo;How can we expect people to stay in Lebanon, or invest here, under those conditions?rdquo;

He identified two main causes behind the 1975 civil war: the presence of foreign-backed militias and the lack of trust among Lebanese communities.

ldquo;We need to fix both. Illegal weapons must be surrendered, and we must build mutual understanding. Full sovereignty must rest with the Lebanese army alone.rdquo;

He added: ldquo;As long as non-state weapons exist, there will be no resolution. Once arms are handed over and dialogue becomes the only option, wersquo;ll hear a different kind of political discourse.rdquo;

Gemayel emphasized that Lebanonrsquo;s defense must be a unified effort led exclusively by the State.

ldquo;Every inch of Lebanese territory is sacred. Any violation of sovereignty must be met with resistancemdash;but that resistance must come from the State, not from groups carrying out foreign agendas.rdquo;

He accused Hezbollah of starting a cross-border war ldquo;with foreign weapons, foreign ideology, and foreign funding,rdquo; undermining Lebanonrsquo;s ability to defend itself effectively.

ldquo;Wersquo;re far stronger when we stand united behind the Statemdash;especially when defending ourselves, not serving outside agendas.rdquo;

Gemayel said Hezbollahrsquo;s continued possession of weapons provides Israel with the only remaining excuse to delay full withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

ldquo;Therersquo;s already a ceasefire agreement, and Israel has accepted it, along with U.S. and French guarantees that Lebanonrsquo;s borders are sacred. The only pretext Israel has left is the presence of Hezbollahrsquo;s arms,rdquo; he said. ldquo;Letrsquo;s take that excuse off the table. Let the world deal with a legitimate Statemdash;itrsquo;s a thousand times more powerful than any militia when backed by international allies.rdquo;

He argued that Lebanonrsquo;s best defense lies in building strong State institutions and strategic alliances. ldquo;Other small or weak countries have managed to protect themselves by fostering international partnerships. We tried the so-called lsquo;resistancersquo; modelmdash;its weapons were more powerful than those of our national army, yet Lebanon was devastated. That is not a viable solution,rdquo; he said. ldquo;The real solution is to build a functioning State, invest in our army, and secure our place in global safety networks.rdquo;

Responding to Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalanrsquo;s recent statement that weapons are a ldquo;sacred right,rdquo; Gemayel countered: ldquo;Weapons are not sacred. Equality among citizens is sacred. No one group should enjoy privileges others do not.rdquo;

He added that Hezbollah had already accepted the terms of the ceasefire, including disarmament.

ldquo;Speaker Nabih Berri knows our stance. We canrsquo;t start a new chapter while weapons remain on the table,rdquo; Gemayel said. ldquo;I donrsquo;t belong at a negotiating table about this issue. Itrsquo;s not up to political parties to debate weaponsmdash;itrsquo;s between the State and Hezbollah. My job is to ensure the enforcement of whatrsquo;s already been agreed: the Constitution, the presidential oath, U.N. Resolution 1559, the Taif Agreement, and U.N. Resolution 1701.rdquo;

ldquo;Speaker Berri negotiated for Hezbollah and approved the ceasefire. So, did they sign and then change their minds? If so, let them say so. Otherwise, this discussion is over.rdquo;

ldquo;If Hezbollah is serious about change, then it should engage directly with the State to implement a weapons monopolymdash;along with fair mechanisms to transition fighters, including how to handle those currently on Hezbollahrsquo;s payroll.rdquo;

Addressing Berrirsquo;s rejection of conditional military aid, Gemayel said, ldquo;He has every right to voice his opinion. But donor countries also have the right to attach conditions to their support. If their terms align with our national interestmdash;namely, building a sovereign, independent State with weapons solely in the hands of the armymdash;then why reject them out of spite?rdquo;

ldquo;For decades, wersquo;ve called for exclusive State control over arms. If foreign donors now echo that demand, we should see it as an opportunity, not an insult.rdquo;

He suggested that Lebanon replicate its approach to maritime border negotiations in its dealings with Israel over land borders.

ldquo;Maritime negotiations already took placemdash;why not conduct similar talks over the land borders to resolve all outstanding issues and secure lasting stability in southern Lebanon?rdquo;

ldquo;As long as people fear an imminent war, there will be no investment, no jobs, no future. Thatrsquo;s why the weapons issue is non-negotiablemdash;itrsquo;s a matter of national survival.rdquo;

When asked whether the future of the Shiite community lies within the State, Gemayel answered firmly: ldquo;Absolutely. We will treat them with respect and appreciation. There is no exclusion. Yes, they may have felt marginalized in the pastmdash;but itrsquo;s our duty to eliminate that sense of alienation.rdquo;

He concluded by saying that fear cannot justify clinging to arms outside the Statersquo;s authority. — Kataeb English

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