In a remarkable political and historical appearance, the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, presented a series of positions during his participation in the Witness to the Age program on Al Jazeera, which dealt with his political identity and pivotal moments in the history of Lebanon and the region.
Jumblatt stressed that “my political identity is Arab,” noting that he grew up in a secular environment in which he was influenced by the approach of his parents, considering that one of his duties over the decades was to defend the interests of the Druze community “from an Arab standpoint,” in light of what he described as historical conflicts witnessed by “this small mountain.”
He stressed that he is “not an expert in the interior of the monotheistic faith,” stressing that he is speaking from his political, not religious, position, in an attempt to separate sectarian affiliation from political practice.
Regarding the historical aspect, Jumblatt considered that the decision to liquidate his father, the late leader Kamal Jumblatt, was “clear” to the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, noting that his opposition to Syrian entry into Lebanon constituted an obstacle to regional projects.
He also pointed out that Al-Assad viewed Palestine as “part of southern Syria” according to the Baathist perspective, pointing out sharp differences with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, especially regarding the concept of “independent national decision.”
He added that the Syrian leadership at that time worked to gradually enter Lebanon, with the aim of eliminating the Palestine Liberation Organization, and “taking personal and political revenge” against Arafat, as he put it.
These statements come in the context of Jumblatt’s reading of the course of regional conflicts and their impact on Lebanon, as he re-shed light on a pivotal stage in the history of the Lebanese war and foreign interventions in it.
His positions also reflect the continued debate about Syria’s role in Lebanon during that stage, and the divisions that accompanied the relationship between local and regional powers.
