In a November 15, 2024, interview on Transparency News YouTube, Lebanese academic Charles Chartouni called for Lebanon to sign a peace accord with Israel. He urged Hizbullah to surrender to avoid further casualties, stating that the ongoing conflict is not an "Israeli aggression" but a war between Hizbullah and the Israeli state. Chartouni emphasized that it is in Lebanon's best interest for Hizbullah to be destroyed.
Click here or below to view the clip on MEMRI TV:
Israel Is Absolutely Not An Aggressor – It Was Attacked; When This Conflict Is Over, Hizbullah Will Be Destroyed; There Is No Way For Lebanon To Survive So Long As Hizbullah Exists
Charles Chartouni: "I am not talking about an [Israeli] aggression, but rather about a war between Hizbullah and the Israeli state. This is not an aggression against Lebanon..."
Interviewer: "First of all, it is still an 'entity.' Why do you say 'Israeli state,' and recognize it as a state?"
Chartouni: "As far as I am concerned, it is a state, because it is part of the United Nations. It exists and has its own constitution. It has the features of a state. Some people use an ideological description, but that's another thing. Objectively speaking, this state exists and it is part of the United Nations.
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"When this conflict is over, Hizbullah will be destroyed. I think the Lebanese state has a great interest in the destruction of Hizbullah, because there is no way for Lebanon to survive or to be resurrected, so long as Hizbullah exists.
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"There is no such thing as the 'Israeli criminal machine.' Israel is waging a war, and when you wage war..."
Interviewer: "Israel is not an aggressor, in your view?"
Chartouni: "Absolutely not. Israel was attacked. Israel was attacked. As simple as that."
Hizbullah Has Taken Cover Behind Civilians In Southern Lebanon, Jeopardizing Their Safety – This Is The Real Crime
Interviewer: "Israel was attacked? Really?"
Chartouni: "I'll explain this to you. When for many years, you make speeches targeting Israel's national security, and the security of the Israeli cities on the border with Lebanon – what do you expect to happen? The second thing is that when Hizbullah, which purports to protect its own people, booby-traps south Lebanon in its entirety, and turns every area into arms depots and tunnels for military operations, and makes it impossible to distinguish between residential units and military bases, and acts according to the principle of... Whatchamacallit... The strategy of..."
Interviewer: "Defensive strategy?"
Chartouni: "No... The strategy of human shields. Using the strategy of human shields means that you take cover behind civilians in order to execute a certain military policy. Hizbullah has taken cover behind civilians, and allowed itself to jeopardize the safety of the civilians, and this is the real crime.
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We Should Sit Down With The Israelis And Sign A Peace Accord; Slogans About Israel's Territorial Designs Are Not True – Israel Only Has Geostrategic Goals In Lebanon Because Lebanon Allowed Foreign Intervention On Its Soil
"Naim Qassem is a little boy. Who is Naim Qassem? He's a little boy. Naim Qassem is a fraud."
Interviewer: "You cannot talk like this. He is the Secretary-General of Hizbullah. There is a large sector that..."
Chartouni: "He's a fraud. He's an irresponsible individual. You listen to his statements... Man, where are you going? Where are you heading with this suicide operation? What are you urging the people to do? Just die more and more?"
Interviewer: "What do you expect him to do? To say: 'We surrender?'"
Chartouni: "Absolutely yes. What is wrong with surrendering? Is there shame in surrendering?"
Interviewer: "After all the victims we have sacrificed...?"
Chartouni: "So let's sacrifice more victims... There are 1,500 victims. Let's make it 5,000. Let's make it 10,000.
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"We should move on to a new phase. We can definitely do it."
Interviewer: "How?"
Chartouni: "Sign a peace accord with Israel and get it over with."
Interviewer: "Ahhh... This is where you want to go?"
Chartouni: "Of course."
Interviewer: "Before the liberation of the lands..."
Chartouni: "No liberation is needed when you have a peace accord."
Interviewer: "Before the Sheba Farms are..."
Chartouni: "Sheba Farms? There will be a peace accord."
Interviewer: "So you say we should give up everything."
Chartouni: "I'm not giving up anything. We should sit down with the Israelis, and put all the pending problems on the negotiations table, and reach an agreement."
Interviewer: "Do you think that Israel, with its territorial designs, will give us what we demand...?"
Chartouni: "These slogans are not true. Israel had no territorial designs originally. Israel now has geostrategic goals in Lebanon, after Lebanon allowed foreign intervention on its soil, and this has exposed it to military violations by Israel."
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