Samir Geagea Criticizes Neutrality Between State and Non-State Actors as Unpatriotic

Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces party, received a delegation from the town of Ramhala in the Aley district at the party’s headquarters in Maarab. The delegation was led by the town’s Mukhtar Fadi Saad, Judge Francois Daher, Ramhala Club President Rodan Abi Allam, Waqf Committee representative Rashid Yazbek, and Michel Yazbek, a member of the Supreme Council of the Free Patriotic Movement. The meeting was attended by MP Nazih Matti from the Strong Republic bloc, the party’s Aley area coordinator Tony Badr and his deputy Salim Abi Daher, Central Council member Pierre Nassar, and the head of the Lebanese Forces center in Ramhala, Elie Yazbek.

Geagea opened the meeting by welcoming the delegation and describing the gathering as more of a family reunion among friends and relatives than an official meeting. He noted that his relationship with the town of Ramhala spans many years.

The meeting served as an opportunity to discuss the town’s conditions and its developmental and service-related affairs. The delegation presented the main needs and projects requiring follow-up in the upcoming phase. Geagea affirmed his readiness to support achievable initiatives within available resources and to promote projects that serve the town’s residents and contribute to strengthening their resilience and stability.

Addressing local affairs, Geagea stressed the crucial role played by the Mukhtar in the community, stating that the public responsibility demands that the officeholder serve all citizens without exception or discrimination. He explained that this approach reflects the school of thought to which they belong in public administration, where service is provided to everyone regardless of their affiliations or choices, as responsibility is a duty before it is a position or privilege.

Geagea elaborated extensively on the importance of clarity in positions at both the national and local levels. He asserted that societies cannot be built by individuals who prefer to remain in a gray area to avoid taking responsibility or fear adopting a clear stance. He identified one of the greatest dangers facing any society as the presence of a group that refuses to distinguish between right and wrong, integrity and corruption, or a true state and a state in captivity, under slogans of consensus and avoidance of conflicts. He added that generalizing accusations and failing to name issues clearly leads to obscuring responsibilities and weakening accountability, while society needs people brave enough to speak the truth and take the appropriate stance at the right time. He emphasized that neutrality between right and wrong is not a virtue, and standing in the middle between the state and non-state actors is not a patriotic position but a direct contribution to prolonging crises and preventing real change.

Geagea confirmed that since its foundation, the Lebanese Forces party has chosen to stand with the truth regardless of sacrifices and costs, to bear the concerns of society and the people, and to continuously confront corruption regardless of its source or the parties behind it. He underscored that the party will continue to struggle for the establishment of a strong, capable, sovereign, just, and honest state based on institutions and law, opposing the logic of a state in captivity, sectarianism, corruption, and submission to private interests.

Meanwhile, Tony Badr, the area coordinator, highlighted the ongoing efforts by the Lebanese Forces center in Ramhala, noting that this work has clearly contributed to expanding the party’s presence and strengthening its role in the town. He also praised the positive atmosphere governing relations with various local actors and parties, and the role of Mukhtar Fadi Saad in keeping his doors open to all Ramhala residents and serving them without discrimination, reflecting the Lebanese Forces’ image and approach in public work.

Mukhtar Fadi Saad stated that his recent municipal and mukhtar election victories represent a triumph for the approach embodied by the Lebanese Forces party. He emphasized his commitment to continuing this path in serving the town’s residents. He also affirmed that Ramhala has been and will remain loyal to the Lebanese Forces and the sacrifices it has made, expressing support for the party’s stances and national choices. Saad promised Geagea to continue working along this approach in the coming phase.

Elie Yazbek, head of the Lebanese Forces center in Ramhala, delivered a speech reviewing the party’s activities in the town over the past period. He highlighted the center’s progress on organizational, party, and electoral levels, as well as the activities and initiatives carried out in cooperation with the town’s residents and various local actors. Yazbek outlined the main priorities the center will focus on going forward, including enhancing communication with residents, expanding participation in party and public work, and continuing to engage with all components of the town in ways that serve its interests and strengthen its developmental and social presence.

Yazbek affirmed his and the center members’ commitment to continue this path, dedicating all their energies and efforts to developing party and developmental work in Ramhala. He pledged to Geagea to intensify efforts to achieve further progress and successes in the town, in line with the principles and approach of the Lebanese Forces in serving society and public affairs.

The meeting concluded with a gift presented to Geagea by Ramhala native and owner of the "Shathaya" museum, artist Charles Nassar. The gift was a statuette of the Virgin Mary, symbolizing appreciation and affection, in an atmosphere marked by warmth, friendship, and recollection of the shared milestones linking Ramhala and the Lebanese Forces over the years.