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Congres

Discours au XXIII Congrès de l’Internationale Socialiste, Athènes
Solidarité mondiale : Le courage de faire la différence


SPEECH BY WALID JUMBLATT, LEADER OF THE PROGRESSIVE SOCIALIST PARTY, PSP, LEBANON

Dear President,
Dear Secretary General, comrades.

Because we are debating about peace, democracy, and taking into account the different environment here and there in this chaotic world, were peace and democracy are at stake, and coming from the middle east, from the other side of the Mediterranean, from Lebanon, I will focus on some issues, some basic issues, in case fulfilled, realized could be the cornerstone of peace, democracy, stability, could lead to safe environment, could open a new page of history between people, between states of this region, of this area which till now subject to instability, wars, civil wars, political assassinations and violence not to say more.

1. - Lebanese Syrian relationships cannot come to terms of normalization without the fact that the Syrian regime acknowledging once and for all the independence of Lebanon, by implementing diplomatic relations, and demarcating the boarder, basically the so-called Shebaa Farms so that this matter, this land will be under Lebanese sovereignty free from Israeli occupation, and won’t be an-ending excuse for both the Israelis and the Syrians to use it as a bargaining platform at the expenses of Lebanon’s independence, stability and sovereignty.

 
2. - The Tribunal – International Tribunal

This tribunal fixed by the United Nations with the collaboration of the Lebanese government, should be the tool, the instrument to bring the murderers of Prime Minister Hariri, and other prominent Journalist writers, politicians, member of the parliament and innocents, to bring them to justice, and parallel to that is to put an end to political assassinations.

In case this tribunal is subject to political bargaining by certain regional and international powers well this means total failure of the united Nation the international community to prevent political assassinations, after having failed to prevent genocides, this means opening a very dark chapter in the international relations in this century, where only brutal power is the rule.

3. - The Arab Israeli conflict or the Palestinian problem, tragedy.

The famous road map died 4 years ago, and all the attempts to survive it led to nowhere. How can a viable Palestinian state emerge when the territory of this supposed state is being systematically eroded by settlements, by the wall, by the closed areas, restricted areas and by targeted killing!

How come this Palestinian state emerge when some powers (the Israeli and the Americans) decided to ignore the democratically elected movement Hamas, and subject it and the Palestinian people to terrible collective punishment and then after realizing the total absurdity and failure of their policy, these same powers decided to fix alliance, a bargain indirectly acknowledging that all past attempts to ignore Hamas, to isolate them leads to nowhere.

Was it not better from the start, to recognize the result of the elections and deal with a joint Hamas-Fatah alliance instead of creating much bloodshed and dividing brothers that led to so many sufferings for the Palestinians uselessly?

4. - Further more, on this subject, Palestine, it would be very important to warn power or parties that trying to isolate the problem, or localize it in Gaza, will lead to nowhere, except to destabilize counties around (Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon). The Palestinian problem should be tackled as a whole from the west bank, to Gaza, to Jerusalem, to the right of return as a principle, implementing by that the various International Resolutions, if this terminology in this century still has any sense, otherwise the united Nation could end like the league of Nations and havoc could rule international relationships.

5. - I said that I am coming from the other side of the Mediterranean, next door, but from another world to another world. How can the Barcelona Process, or this newly invention, the Union of the Mediterranean materialize when from one side you have the wealthy fortress of Europe, fortress of freedom, democracy and free elections, and the rule of law, siding with the fortress of tyranny, dictatorship, backwardness, divine rulers, and segregation with one exception in Lebanon, part of it, till now surviving, not yet in the coffin, and some so called islands of prosperity thanks to booming oil prices.

6. - There is somewhere, something wrong going on that will lead to more isolation, to lack of communication between people - cultures, except of course for rulers, and cooperation they don’t have problem also the total failure of being able to implement practically what we share as common values in the field of democracy, freedom and respect of human dignity…something should be done.

Finally, I really appreciate the efforts of solidarity by Socialist International, by our president, by the General Secretary Luis Ayala, by various members and parties when they come to Beirut in the difficult times. We still have difficult times ahead, very difficult times, hoping that dialogue only dialogue, a peaceful dialogue would be the ultimate goal between various Lebanese parties, whatever circumstances are.

Thank You