Report: Jumblat Urges Maronite Action over Rahi's Jerusalem Visit
Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat has reportedly asked Christian political leaders to stop Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi from visiting the Holy Land despite the insistence of the cardinal that he was backing the Palestinian cause.
Al-Liwaa newspaper said Tuesday that Jumblat made the appeal during the national dialogue session that was chaired by President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace a day earlier.
The PSP leader, who is also the head of the National Struggle Front bloc, asked the conferees to keep his statement confidential and not reveal it to the media.
According to the daily, most Maronite leaders oppose the visit of al-Rahi, who will accompany Pope Francis to Jerusalem later this month.
The leaders are awaiting the patriarch's return from his visit to France to discuss the possibility of canceling the Holy Land trip, it said.
But al-Rahi reiterated in remarks to An Nahar daily that his visit was not aimed at consolidating the Israeli occupation.
“I want to stress that this is our land … You want the Palestinian cause? Then I m going there to tell them that we support you and we are at your side,” al-Rahi said.
“Jerusalem is our city. Enough criticism. This is a shame,” he said.
On Monday, the patriarch urged the Lebanese to resolve their problems rather than create new ones.
Al-Rahi regretted that “some Lebanese wanted to create problems out of nothing.”
Bkirki officials said the patriarch would avoid political meetings during his trip and would not seek to normalize ties with Israel.
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