Bassil from Ehmej: They want us to be weak, but strength comes from unity, not division, and Lebanon cannot survive without balance
In a speech delivered during a lunch in Ehmej at the home of his political advisor Antoine Constantine, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Gebran Bassil emphasized that “it is our responsibility not to return the country and Christians to the pre-1990 era, because General Michel Aoun came as the antithesis of the war and the militias that did what they did.”
Bassil pointed out that strength lies in unity, not division, stressing that no one should retreat into their own zaroub (alley), and adding that “the difference is that Michel Aoun and the Movement have united us into one force so that we can be strong in this country.”
The lunch was attended by President Michel Aoun, former MP Shamel Mouzaya, Maronite Archbishop of Byblos Michel Aoun, the Movement’s Vice Presidents for Political and Administrative Affairs and Relations with Foreign Parties—Martine Najm Kteily, Ghassan Khoury, and Naji Hayek—as well as a large gathering of Byblos figures and FPM cadres.
Bassil noted that the entire Byblos region had supported the Free Patriotic Movement, and when the Movement was able to give back, it did not fall short. He explained that the deputies of Byblos had served their region thanks to the strength of the Movement.
He continued, “We lived through the period from 1990 to 2005, and we were all marginalized. The regions of Metn, Kesrouan, Byblos, and Batroun received only crumbs because they were not properly represented.”
“When we returned and took responsibility from the heart of the state,” Bassil said, “we restored balance to Lebanon, which cannot live without it.”
He added, “The road from Byblos to Qartaba, and from the coast to Aakoura and Tartaj, was secured. Thus, Byblos was connected to the coast. All these roads were implemented, although some were left incomplete due to the October 17 revolution.”
Bassil emphasized that “the Janna Dam was built because of the power of the Current, but it was not completed because of the counterforce to the Current. It was supposed to be finished in 2018, and every time we visit Byblos, we must remember what the counterforce to the Movement did. This project could have provided 100 megawatts of electricity to Byblos.”
He added, “Byblos has received its share of electricity and water, and it is the responsibility of the Director General of Water, Jean Gebran, to take stock and inform the people of the number of reservoirs, wells, and water and sewage networks that have been implemented.”
Bassil said, “We have arrived thanks to you and your votes,” noting that none of them arrived on their own strength. “People come and go,” he said, “but what matters is continuity—and today in Ehmej, we confirm that the presence of the Current continues in Ehmej, in Byblos, and in you.”
He stressed that “no one can achieve anything without the large parliamentary bloc of the Free Patriotic Movement. Every service that has been provided has been in the name of the Movement—every law, every road. The disaster is that we are living once again in a state of fragmentation, returning to the situation of 1990–2005. This is what we must remain aware of. A single deputy can do nothing alone, and we must remember what they did to us during that period.”
Bassil continued, “The two best slogans raised by the Movement are ‘Strong Lebanon’ and ‘Strong President.’ Those who mock these slogans are the same ones who want us to be weak and divided.”
He said, “Today, we are witnessing mafia-like behavior. What is happening with the Movement reflects the same militia and mafia mentality that existed before the 1990s—and this mentality still persists in state administrations, where some are punished daily.”
He added, “We are not hurt by such behavior. We have spent 15 years with our president in exile and under persecution, but we mention this to remind you of where they want to take us back.”
“I ask you,” Bassil urged, “not to lose your compass or your goal. Do not get caught up in the petty squabbles they want to drag us into.”
Bassil explained that “there are two options in the country for the Lebanese and for Christians. Everything that is happening now seeks to fragment the core strength that enabled us to achieve certain accomplishments—and at the same time prevented us from achieving others. If we were not strong, they would not be fighting us.”
He added, “Lebanon needs to be liberated from the political ideology that controls your money. In 2026, you must choose which Lebanon you want and which political movement will represent you: do you want the honest or the thieves?”
Bassil affirmed, “We are—against their will—honest and patriotic. They cannot make us non-sovereign, nor can they erase our history or our present. We are the only bloc that says no to foreigners. That is why we are not in government, why they want to eliminate us in the elections, and why they deceive some people. Our path, therefore, will remain difficult.”
He concluded by saying, “Parliament alone is worthless if it does not have the power to unite.”
Aoun and Bassil’s Tour
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, and President Michel Aoun visited the Monastery of Mar Maroun, where they were received by Abbot Father Milad Tarabieh, Father Tannous Nehme, the custodian of the monastery’s register of miracles Father Louis Matar, and several other priests. The visit began in the church hall, where President Aoun and Bassil were presented with a symbolic gift—a book about Saint Charbel.
President Aoun and the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement then continued to President Michel Aoun’s Forest in Hamaj, where both planted a cedar tree. They later proceeded to the Monastery of Our Lady of Shire, where they were received by the Maronite Archbishop of Byblos, Michel Aoun, who offered prayers for Lebanon and its leaders.
The visit concluded with a lunch held at the home of Mr. Antoine Constantine.
