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Lebanese Druze leader: Country on verge of collapse; goods needed, not weapons

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt discussed Lebanon’s economic crisis, noting people lack food, even if Hezbollah has missiles.

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said in a July 26, 2022 show on LBC TV (Lebanon) that a war between Hizbullah and Israel could lead to mutually assured destruction, via MEMRI.
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said in a July 26, 2022 show on LBC TV (Lebanon) that a war between Hizbullah and Israel could lead to mutually assured destruction, via MEMRI.

Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt stated on LBC TV (Lebanon) on July 26 that a war between Hezbollah and Israel could result in mutually assured destruction—and that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah should be made aware of this.

According to a video report by MEMRI, Jumblatt discussed the country’s economic crisis, saying that the Lebanese people lack food, even if Hezbollah has missiles. He said the Lebanese government should save the country from economic collapse by discontinuing non-essential product subsidies and taking other fiscal measures.

“I say to [Hezbollah leader] Hassan [Nasrallah]: You can launch drones and missiles. You have tremendous capabilities but try to think about the response. You may think you have reached a balance of military power, but even in cases where there is such a balance of power, it is better to be cautious,” said Jumblatt.

“In the days of the Cold War,” he explained, “there was a theory of Russian-American mutual annihilation. The Russians calculated how many nuclear bombs they need to destroy America and vice versa. (Also here,) we can reach mutual destruction. We do not have to use nuclear bombs. We can use missiles.”

But that would be a mistake, he emphasized, according to the report: “This war will bring about self-destruction ... or mutual destruction.”

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