BEIRUT, January 17. /TASS/. The Lebanese government should replace Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, who is pushing the country towards civil war, Secretary General of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a televised address broadcast by Al Manar TV channel.
"The lack of diplomacy protecting national interests is a weak point in the work of the cabinet," the politician argued. "The current foreign minister is manipulating public opinion and seeking to drag the country into civil strife. The authorities are responsible for replacing him as soon as possible or they should silence this minister."
On January 12, Rajji said that Hezbollah’s weapons had become a heavy burden both for the Shiite community and for the whole of Lebanon. "This arsenal could not protect either the Shiites or Lebanon during the aggression, and now it has become an obstacle to economic revival," he said.
"As long as Hezbollah's weapons exist, Israel will always have an excuse to continue attacking Lebanon."
On January 14, Mahmoud Kummati, Deputy Chairman of Hezbollah’s political council, rejected the government's plan to disarm illegal paramilitary groups north of the Litani River, saying the authorities were making a "free concession" to Israel and the United States. In his opinion, "such a course leads the country to instability and chaos.".