Lebanese TV Host Samar Abou Khalil Accuses Government of Depravity, Corruption, Blames It for Poverty, Unemployment in Lebanon

In an October 16, 2019 show on Al-Jadeed/New TV (Lebanon), Lebanese TV host Samar Abou Khalil criticized the Lebanese government and accused it of political depravity, corruption, theft, robbery, and exploitation of the Lebanese people. She said that the state of anarchy is causing Lebanon to regress and that the Lebanese people are poor, naked, thirsty, hungry, and unemployed. Abou Khalil's comments were made against the backdrop of uproar over fires that raged in Lebanon.

Samar Abou Khalil: What more is required of us? How much longer will the anarchy and political depravity continue? The people can no longer tolerate this. We will support anybody who can help the country, and anybody who cannot help the country can turn around, apologize to the people, and be gone. That would be most honorable for everybody. What have all of you done for the country? What has this regime done for the country? Our situation is going from bad to worse. The entire world is advancing, and we are regressing. The only thing that is improving and growing is your wealth, which you are accumulating at our expense: corruption, theft, plundering, exploitation of the state… You have completely slaughtered us. You have not left anything intact. We are a nation living on the verge of death. Most of the people live below the poverty line. They are hungry and cannot eat or feed its children. They are naked and thirsty in a land of many springs and dams, but no water. Ninety percent of the people are sick because of your filth, your pollution, your garbage, your sewage, and your landfills. Our people do not have the bare necessities for life. There is no work, no production, no electricity. You have caused this nation to envy the dogs that live in your homes. You have stolen and robbed everything, and you are not satisfied. You are not satisfied with ports, centers, government offices, income, and so on… You have reached your hands into our pockets. Once, twice, thrice… Go ahead and steal for you and your grandchildren, but do something for us in the country, so that at least we can continue to live with our families. But you want more – you are not satisfied.