Sami Gemayel calls for Lebanese state to monopolize arms and authority

Sami Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb Party, has called for decisive state action to establish the government as the sole authority in Lebanon. Speaking at an annual dinner in the Metn region, Gemayel emphasized that the country is at a critical turning point that requires final decisions to restore sovereignty.

A central component of his call is the resolution of the issue regarding weapons existing outside of state institutions. Gemayel argued that the presence of non-state weaponry is no longer a matter that can be postponed, as it undermines the stability of the state, perpetuates a logic of war, and threatens the future of Lebanese youth by driving emigration.

Gemayel advocated for a state governed by institutions, the judiciary, the constitution, and the law. He questioned how any national army could function alongside other armed groups that possess different legitimacies and control specific territories. He urged for the Lebanese Army to reclaim its role as the protector of the entire nation and called for a transition into a new era of peace and prosperity under the principle of ‘one state, one weapon, and one national decision’.