Lebanese Politician Samy Gemayel: We Should Treat Syria Like We Treat Israel, Only Interact Through Mediators; Syria Is Planning To Blow Up Lebanese People

Lebanese politician Samy Gemayel, the president of the Lebanese Phalanges Party, said in an October 8, 2021 interview on Al-Jadeed TV (Lebanon) that Lebanon should "treat Syria the same way it treats Israel," and only interact with it through mediators. Gemayel said that Syria is planning to blow up Lebanese people, just as it assassinated Lebanese leaders in the past. He added that Lebanon should reach agreements with its neighbors if it can, and that it should be a Lebanese interest to bring justice, peace, stability, and honor to Lebanon's people rather than to fight wars to annihilate Syria or Israel. For more information on Samy Gemayel, who is the nephew of Bachir Gemayel, a Lebanese President-elect who was assassinated by a Syrian terrorist in 1982, see MEMRI TV Clips No. 7381, No. 2539, No. 2132, and No. 2118.

Samy Gemayel: "I support treating Syria the same way we treat Israel."

Interviewer: "Is this what you do?"

Gemayel: "I wish our country would treat Syria the same way it treats Israel."

Interviewer: "And from where will you get gas? We begged the [Syrians] for gas..."

Gemayel: "Go ahead and do it, but through a mediator. We should raise these issues..."

Interviewer: "So you’re talking about negotiations?"

Gemayel: "Yes."

Interviewer: "I thought you meant that we should treat the [Syrians] as enemies..."

Gemayel: "No, no. There should be negotiations. Just like we negotiate with Israel by means of a mediator, there should be a mediator between us and the Syrian regime..."

Interviewer: "We have ambassadors..."

Gemayel: "Unfortunately, some of our politicians have been taking heed of the Syrian regime ever since the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, and some of them are still acting as collaborators with the Syrian regime. We have no trust in them. This is why it is important for us..."

Interviewer: "You cannot compare Israel to Syria. Today, Israel is stealing your oil, while Syria is giving you gas. There is a difference."

Gemayel: "Syria has given us gas?"

Interviewer: "It allowed for gas pipes to..."

Gemayel: "Syria is making plans to blow up Lebanese citizens..."

Interviewer: "The Israelis bombed us."

Gemayel: "Them too. That’s why I’m saying that both countries have killed us, have occupied us, have plundered us, keep Lebanese prisoners, have killed our leaders, assassinated Bachir Gemayel and Kamal Jumblatt, and maybe others – these are the ones we know for sure... Syria bombed and destroyed Lebanon. Syria has tried recently to blow up Lebanese people. I consider that regime, which refuses to demarcate borders between us, and still holds Lebanese citizens in its prisons... As far as I am concerned, there is a basic problem with the Syrian regime."

Interviewer: "For you, the enmity towards the Syrian regime is equal to the enmity towards Israel?"

Gemayel: "I want to keep my honor and to live in peace."

Interviewer: "Honestly, you don’t have a problem with peace with Israel?"

Gemayel: "Today, the region is moving towards normalization of relations with Israel... Nancy, let me be clear about this. I refuse to accept that my children will live in a country that is in an eternal state of war. If I am capable of reaching any agreement with my neighbors, thus defending Lebanon against any aggression, and providing stability for Lebanese people, so that they can live a day or two like normal human beings...

"I consider it to be the duty of any Lebanese official to achieve peace for his country. It should be a just peace, we must maintain our honor, we must not give up, we should negotiate, raise our demands, whatever you want... But what is our ultimate goal? Is it to bring stability to this country, or is our goal to wage war until victory and the annihilation of Syria and Israel? No."