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Hezbollah supporters and affiliated media outlets moved swiftly to criticize the foreign minister.
By Shula Rosen
Lebanon’s foreign minister drew sharp condemnation from Hezbollah-aligned factions on Wednesday after saying Israel is justified in continuing its military campaign as long as the group remains armed.
In an interview with Sky News, Youssef Rajji stated that “so long as Hezbollah is not completely disarmed, Israel has the right to continue its attacks,” a remark that quickly prompted backlash across Beirut’s political landscape.
Hezbollah supporters and affiliated media outlets moved swiftly to criticize the foreign minister.
The pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al Akhbar published a front-page denunciation labeling Rajji “the speaker of the enemy in the government” and pressed Lebanon’s prime minister and president to respond.
The paper accused Rajji of abandoning national interests, claiming he had “turned the Foreign Ministry into a mobile mouthpiece for distraction, using diplomatic hybrid language which addresses the other side using rhetoric and not political speech.”
It added that “the whole Foreign Ministry is no longer Lebanese in its rhetoric or role.”
Political figures tied to Hezbollah echoed that criticism. Ali Ammar, a member of parliament for the organization, issued a statement calling Rajji “a resonant political, national, and moral failure.” He urged senior Lebanese officials to distance themselves from the foreign minister’s comments and take a public stance on the issue.
The dispute unfolded against the backdrop of continuing tensions along the Israel–Lebanon border and shortly after Hezbollah marked the first anniversary of its late leader Hassan Nasrallah’s killing in an Israeli strike.
Supporters gathered on the outskirts of Beirut last week for the commemoration, highlighting the group’s continued influence within Lebanon even as international pressure mounts over its arsenal.
Rajji has not yet issued a follow-up statement, and the Lebanese government has made no public move to discipline him. However, the response from Hezbollah-aligned circles signaled that the political repercussions of his remarks may continue to unfold in the coming days.
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