Maronite Bishops back Lebanese State and direct talks with Israel

Lebanon's Maronite bishops have thrown their full support behind the Lebanese state and its ongoing direct negotiations with Israel, calling on all Lebanese to unite around their national institutions and army.

The appeal came at the close of a synod held at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké from June 3 to 13, convened at the request of Patriarch Béchara Raï.

In their concluding statement, the bishops urged support for "the state that is striving to conduct direct Lebanese-Israeli talks, under American sponsorship and with Arab and international backing, with a view to finding solutions that preserve Lebanese rights and protect full sovereignty over all Lebanese territory."

The declaration is a significant show of solidarity with Lebanon's official authorities at a critical moment. Hezbollah and its Shia ally Amal continue to reject the direct negotiations, preferring that Iran handle the Lebanese file within its own talks with Washington, a position the Maronite Church has firmly opposed from the outset.

The bishops also called for the restoration of Lebanon's historical borders, the preservation of its parliamentary system and the protection of coexistence between its communities.

Closing the synod, Patriarch Raï struck a note of defiant hope: "Lebanon, despite its wounds, remains the bearer of a great message, and the Church is called to remain the voice of right and hope."