The Statement: Speaking from Baabda, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addressed Shia citizens, stating:
"You are not targeted, you are Lebanese, and you must align yourselves with the state, which is best suited to guarantee your rights."
Commentary:
Samir Geagea's sudden pivot to playing the "benevolent statesman" offering patronizing reassurances to the Shia community is a masterclass in political opportunism. For decades, his political career has been built on sectarian incitement and failed bets to marginalize and isolate this very component of Lebanese society. A few hollow sentences from Baabda cannot launder a history of division. This cheap political posturing exposes an desperate attempt to exploit current shifts to dictate terms under the guise of "the state." Those who spent a lifetime fracturing national unity are in no position to lecture others on citizenship.