Lebanon: Druze leader says dismissal of minister only way to solve Gulf crisis

The head of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt, has said that the dismissal of Information Minister George Kordahi is the only way to solve the crisis in Lebanon-Gulf relations.

In an interview with MTV aired on Monday, the veteran Druze leader added that he is very patient with Hezbollah. The movement has, he said, “destroyed the homes” that Lebanese people have in the Gulf States. He also described Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s performance as “excellent at this stage.”

The political crisis between Lebanon and a number of Gulf States erupted after Kordahi said in a TV show recorded before he became a minister that the war in Yemen is “futile” and that “Houthi rebels” are defending themselves in the face of external aggression. This was a clear reference to the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting against the Houthis in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait condemned Kordahi’s comments, which were broadcast after his ministerial appointment. Along with Bahrain and the UAE, they also summoned their diplomats from Beirut for consultations.

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