Syriac Maronite Patriarch Al-Raï: The Lebanese people cannot be boycotted for the faults of the government

BETH KERKE, Lebanon — Syriac Maronite Patriarch Mor Béchara Boutros al-Raï took to Facebook on Monday to reach out for help for the Lebanese people, writing via the Maronite Patriarchate Facebook page.

“The Lebanese people are not your opponent but your friend,” began the message. “Lebanon has offered a lot to the Arabs and the world, so it is not permissible to bully, boycott, or prosecute it.”

“It is not permissible to link the people’s assistance to the fate of the government, the presidency, illegal weapons, or any other issue,” the statement continued.

In related news, a Monday meeting between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Al-Hariri ended without an agreement on the formation of a new government.

After the meeting, Al-Hariri stated that Aoun insisted that his political allies obtain a disrupted majority in the government, rejecting his paper and considering it a violation of the Lebanese constitution.