Qassem asks Lebanese state to cancel Tuesday meeting with Israel
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday urged the Lebanese state to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington the following day, reiterating his group's rejection of direct negotiations with Israel.
"We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity... We call for a historic and heroic stance by canceling this negotiating meeting," Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said in a televised address.
The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are scheduled to meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss holding direct negotiations between the two countries.
"The state's inaction can be justified by its weakness and inability, but it cannot be justified for the state to become a tool for Israel by exerting pressure and taking government decisions that weaken the internal situation in the face of aggression," Qassem said.
Addressing President Joseph Aoun, he added: "Your Excellency, they are pressuring you to confront your own people, but we are all sons of one country -- we build it together and we establish it together."
"Our decision is not to calm down and not to surrender, we'll let the battlefield speak, and we reject the futile negotiations, which require unanimity," Qassem went on to say.
13 April 2026, 21:59
03
The majority of Lebanese reject your stance the majority rules not the unanimity. you did not take in consideration the
opinion of the majority of Lebanese when you decided
to purue a war that only concerns Iran.
13 April 2026, 22:11
02
First, the pope would not be happy if the meeting is cancelled. Second, if Aoun cancels the meeting he needs to stop whining about the casualties and the property damage -- particularly since Lebanon started the war.
13 April 2026, 23:26
02
Qassem still does not understand that the government of the Republic of Lebanon has neither asked for his opinion nor is lacking any authority to govern on matters before the country and Lebanese.
Implied for Qassem will be "since Lebanon follows a different path than you prefer, what if anything will you do?". Especially since previous statements from Qassem, Raad, Hezbollah's members, and Iranian officials directly challenge President Aoun, And since Aoun has responded to those direct challenges by performing his Presidential duties as he sees fit and in keeping with his elected mandate, Then what should Qassem do?
"Capitulate", "chicken out", "stop pronouncing", "leave Lebanon", "get a new job doing something useful in Tehran" all seem like good choices.
Please don't let the door hit you on the way out ...
14 April 2026, 00:34
02
Mails in. This stooge clown received another telegram from teheran to read out.
14 April 2026, 01:34
03
Qassem should have told Iran not to meet the Americans in Pakistan. Why does Naharnet even mention this individual as if he is important? The news media should focus on real news not some clown trying to be relevant…
14 April 2026, 12:22
01
This idiot does not deserve any attention. The stooge of his non-Arab Persian/Iranian Masters. Pay him no attention. He says what Iran tells him to so. Who in the world does this clown think he is fooling???
14 April 2026, 13:39
00
Enough suffering for people in the south and who is benefitting ?
Get back to normal life and let people live work and enjoy life.
15 April 2026, 07:12
00
If the Pope is so interested in peace in Lebanon then perhaps he should send in his army to replace the Israelis in getting rid of the Hizbvallah terrorists.
