Fadlallah on direct negotiations: A breach of the constitution and an escalation of internal division

MP Hassan Fadlallah criticized the Lebanese authorities’ decision to proceed with direct negotiations with Israel, considering the move a clear تجاوز of constitutional frameworks and one that opens the door to further internal tension, at a time when Lebanon needs the highest degree of national cohesion to confront the challenges it faces.

In a statement, Fadlallah warned of the repercussions of this course on the country’s unity and stability, stressing that any such steps would deepen internal division rather than address it.

Fadlallah said:

"The decision by those controlling the Lebanese authority’s decision-making to engage in direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy, and to begin practical steps, is a blatant violation of the National Pact, the constitution, and Lebanese laws, and a manipulation of the country’s fate and future. It increases the intensity of internal division at a time when Lebanon is in greatest need of solidarity and internal unity to confront the Israeli aggression against it, and to preserve its civil peace and the coexistence of its people."

He added:

"What the enemy failed to achieve on the battlefield at the gates of our border villages, thanks to the bravery of the resistance fighters, will not be obtained through negotiations with an authority that does not possess its own decision, has abandoned its most basic duties, has failed to protect its people, is not entrusted with safeguarding national sovereignty, and whose decisions have no constitutional legitimacy when they contradict coexistence. It will reap from them nothing but disappointment and loss."

He also pointed out that the authorities should have made use of the available international opportunities, arguing that Iran’s supportive positions toward Lebanon should have been built upon rather than ignored.

He continued:

"This authority should have prioritized its country’s interest and the preservation of its people’s blood by immediately taking advantage of the favorable international opportunity, thanks to Iran’s steadfast position alongside Lebanon and its concern for our country through its insistence on halting the aggression against Lebanon before the start of negotiations in Islamabad. But it disavowed this honorable Iranian position and worked to obstruct it for non-Lebanese calculations, and at the expense of Lebanese blood by prolonging the aggression."

He concluded by affirming that a broad segment of the Lebanese remains committed to the choice of steadfastness, considering that any bets on the outcome of pressure or negotiations will not alter the equation on the ground.

He said at the end of his statement:

"Our people will remain committed to their choice of steadfastness and resistance to defend their land, their existence, their legitimate rights, and their national partnership. They will not allow anyone to manipulate the fate of their homeland and the future of its generations, or to undermine their resistance, its achievements, and the sacrifices of its martyrs, no matter the intimidation, incitement, and invalid measures, whatever the costs and challenges. This resistance will endure as long as its people endure, while every authority is temporary. Those who built their failed wagers on the results of the Israeli aggression should follow the news from the field and visit the displaced and those standing firm on their land to know who this people are and the extent of their readiness to remain steadfast, endure, and sacrifice for their sacred cause."