Dr.

Dr. Samir Geagea to JD Vance:

I have reviewed with interest and appreciation your statement in which you expressed your friendship and concern for the Christians of Lebanon. As the President of the "Lebanese Forces" Party, the largest Christian party in Lebanon, I saw fit to address you with this letter to express my deepest gratitude for your words, and for what they reflect of genuine friendship and profound concern for the Christians of Lebanon, and by extension, for all Lebanese people.
Lebanese Christians have, throughout modern Lebanese history, and will continue to constitute, an element of stability, openness, moderation, and cultural and civilizational prosperity in this East. Lebanon has distinguished itself, thanks to its pluralism, public freedoms, open system, and cultural and economic role, with a unique status that has made it a space of radiance in a turbulent environment.
It is true that the past four decades have been among the most difficult stages experienced by the Lebanese in general, and Christians in particular, as a result of the establishment of "Hezbollah," as a military and security organization, which has usurped national decision-making, weakened legitimate institutions, prevented the establishment of an effective and capable state, and furthermore, embroiled Lebanon in conflicts and wars linked to Iranian agendas that do not represent the interests or aspirations of the Lebanese. This has had a negative impact on the Lebanese economy, reduced job opportunities, and driven large numbers of Lebanese, including a significant proportion of Christians, to emigrate in search of safety, stability, and opportunities for a dignified life.
Nevertheless, the Christians who have faced, throughout their long history, both ancient and modern, challenges and ordeals more severe than these, have always managed to overcome them thanks to their attachment to their land, their faith in freedom, and their determination to remain in their homeland and preserve their national and civilizational identity. Today, as yesterday, they remain steadfast in their faith and convictions, resilient in the face of challenges, and determined, along with all other Lebanese, to restore their state, their institutions, and their full sovereignty, relying on the support of their friends in the East and West, foremost among them the United States of America.
In this context, we believe that the greatest contribution the United States of America can offer Lebanon at this delicate stage lies in supporting the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions as the sole national reference, confining any negotiation or approach to the Lebanese file to the Lebanese state alone, and permanently removing Iran from the Lebanese file, in a way that helps the Lebanese definitively reclaim their national decision-making and prevents any continuation of foreign interventions in their internal affairs.
Furthermore, supporting the current Lebanese state in extending its full authority over all its territories, confining arms to the hands of legitimate institutions alone, and ending the military and security presence of "Hezbollah" constitutes, in our view, the greatest contribution that can be made to the Christians of Lebanon and to all Lebanese people, as it opens the door to building the state we all aspire to: an effective, sovereign state that is free, strong, and capable of ensuring security, stability, and prosperity for all its citizens.
Allow me, in conclusion, to renew to you, on my behalf and on behalf of a broad segment of the Lebanese people in general, and Christians in particular, who aspire to the establishment of an effective and capable state in their homeland, my deepest thanks and appreciation for the friendship and concern you have shown toward the Christians of Lebanon, hoping that the United States of America will remain a key partner in helping Lebanon reclaim its natural role as a model of freedom, pluralism, and peace in the Middle East.
Please accept my utmost respect and appreciation.