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Lebanese MP Fouad Al-Makhzoumi said in a June 25, 2022 interview on Tele Liban TV (Lebanon) that Hizbullah claims to be protecting Lebanon by means of resistance, but in reality it serves Iran, aims its weapons at Lebanese citizens throughout the Arab world, and supports other terrorist groups like the Houthis in Yemen. Al-Makhzoumi also pointed out that Hizbullah does not direct its weapons against Israel or Syria. In addition, he said that although Lebanon has been negotiating with Israel and Cyprus over its maritime borders, it has done nothing to demarcate its maritime borders with Syria. For more about Fouad Al-Makhzoumi, see MEMRI TV Clip No. 8249.
Fouad Al-Makhzoumi: "Hizbullah has illegal weapons which are not incorporated in the state's [military], and it has decided to wage futile wars abroad. Hizbullah went to [fight in] Syria..."
Host: "It did so to protect Lebanon..."
Al-Makhzoumi: "It went to [fight in] Iraq, in Yemen, in Libya... With all due respect, what protection of Lebanon are you talking about? As a Lebanese citizen, how am I connected to Yemen?"
Host: "But in Syria, Hizbullah said it was protecting us from ISIS and [Jabhat] Al-Nusra."
Al-Makhzoumi: "Where is ISIS? They used ISIS to threaten us. They said that they went to cleanse Arsal of ISIS, but when they went in, in the last operation, all we saw were 4-5 laptops. Let me ask you this: If ISIS was really present in Arsal, who transported it to northern Syria?
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"When [Hizbullah's] weapons are used to support groups like the Houthis in Yemen against Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which, the way I see it, protect 500,000 Lebanese, who have been living there for decades, and who send billions of dollars [to Lebanon]... They lead honorable lives there, with their families, but today, when we put their lives [in danger] and cause them trouble – what resistance are we talking about?
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"Today, [Hizbullah's] weapons have been turned against us citizens, rather than being pointed at the Israeli enemy, or anyone attacking Lebanon. I have a question to Hizbullah: We are conducting negotiations about our [maritime] border in the south, right? So why didn’t' you prevent the Syrian aggression in northern Lebanon – their aggression against Block 1 and Block 2? I have never seen anyone [from Hizbullah] saying that we should demarcate our [maritime] border with Syria.
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"If Hizbullah considers itself to be 'resistance', defending our land, why doesn't it point its weapons [to Syria] in the north as well?
"Why did Hizbullah go into Syria? For the sake of its own interests and in order to defend Iran's interests in the region, and not in pursuit of our interests as Lebanese."
Host: "Does Syria attack Lebanon's maritime [border]?"
Al-Makhzoumi: "Since 2002, when the late PM Hariri launched the first research into our maritime borders and their demarcation, and then in 2006, when PM Siniora asked for another British research – and we received the results of that research in 2007 – and that's when we negotiated with Cyprus in order to demarcate the borders – throughout all that time, we did not reach an agreement with Syria.
"We want our borders with Israel, Cyprus, and Syria to be demarcated for the sake of Lebanon's interests, yet Hizbullah has not opened up the issue of demarcating our border with Syria. You cannot be an "on-demand" resistance – acting when it suits you, and refraining from doing anything when it does not."
Host: "Has Hizbullah turned into an 'on-demand' resistance?"
Al-Makhzoumi: "Of course."
Host: "Who's demand?"
Al-Makhzoumi: "Iran's demand par excellence. Hizbullah carries out Iran's regional policies, for the sake of Iran's interests. I do not believe it is in Lebanon's best interest to be a part of this."
Host: "What about the Lebanese state?"
Al-Makhzoumi: "Unfortunately, it is ruled by Hizbullah."
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