Phalange Party Questions Govt. Silence over Soleimani’s Statements on Lebanon
Phalange Party politburo condemned on Monday the statements of Iran's Quds Force, Brig. Gen. Qasem Soleimani on Lebanon, questioning the government’s silence on the matter.
It said in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting headed by party chief Amin Gemayel: “For how long will the state maintain such a cowardly approach?”
Soleimani said last week that the people of southern Lebanon and Iraq are under the effect of Iran’s “way of practice and thinking.”
The meeting also addressed the ongoing violations against public freedoms and culture in Lebanon, the most recent of which was the cancelation of Belgian-Italian singer Lara Fabian’s concert in Lebanon.
It said: “The cancelation came after certain known sides exerted pressure against holding the concert.”
“We wonder why the official authorities did not cancel the concert if indeed it posed a threat to national security,” added the politburo statement.
“If this is not the case, then we wonder how unofficial groups succeeded in usurping the state and Lebanese people’s freedom in choosing and rejecting whom they want,” it continued.
“This measure has transformed Lebanon from a civilized and open country to an isolated one that is afraid of its surroundings,” it noted.
“These irresponsible practices that are being made under the excuse of combating Israel will in fact benefit the Jewish state that is seeking to isolate Lebanon from the world,” said the Phalange Party.
Fabian cancelled her concert in Lebanon after activists launched a campaign accusing her of being pro-Israeli.
"I won’t sing under the threats I’m victim of ... I don’t want to deal with hatred. I believe in tolerance, generosity and truth," she said in a statement.
"Those who don’t understand that and don’t want me to come in their beautiful country where I already had the chance to sing once before don't have to worry," the post added.
For days, the grass roots Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel in Lebanon has been demanding the cancellation of Fabian's concert, which had been scheduled for February 14 and 15 at the Casino du Liban.
"This is part of cultural normalization with the Zionist state," Samah Idriss, who heads the campaign, told Agence France Presse on Friday.
"We did the background research and verified a few facts," Idriss said. "She's already done so much that proves that she is committed to Zionism and to the support of Israel."
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