Former Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt affirmed that Sweida is an inseparable part of the Syrian homeland, stressing that the primary goal today should be to prevent foreign interference and preserve Syria’s unity and sovereignty.
In an exclusive interview with Syrian Ikhbariya TV, Jumblatt stated Friday that investigations into the incidents in Sweida, along with justice and reconciliation, are key to resolving the crisis. He underlined the need to establish a new framework for relations between the people of the governorate and the Syrian state within a unified national context.
Jumblatt said that the Syrian state is seriously pursuing reconciliation and opening the door to national dialogue. He called on all parties to await the results of ongoing Syrian and international investigations into the recent incidents in the governorate before making premature judgments.
He condemned the raising of Israeli flags in Sweida, describing it as a reprehensible act that distorts the national and Arab identity of the region’s inhabitants.
The former PSP leader explained that attempts to rename historic regions, such as changing “Jabal al-Arab” to the so-called “Jabal Bashan”, constitute a deliberate distortion of Arab history and national identity.
Jumblatt stressed that relations between Lebanon and Syria should be normal, between two independent states, based on security and economic cooperation against the common enemy “Israel,” and founded on mutual respect for each country’s sovereignty.
He remarked that some political forces in Lebanon have yet to grasp the historical changes and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, urging a new reading of history and the opening of a new chapter based on reconciliation and cooperation between the two countries.
Jumblatt called for security and judicial coordination between Damascus and Beirut to control the borders and prevent chaos, and to address the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons within legal and humanitarian frameworks that respect the sovereignty of both nations.
He concluded by reaffirming the depth of his historic ties with Syria and his deep affection for the Syrian people.
MHD Ibrahim
