Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi’s criticism of the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen against the Houthi rebels has further strained relations between Lebanon and Gulf countries.
Videos began circulating online this week of a television interview Kordahi did in early August, just over a month before joining the government, in which he said the Iran-aligned Houthis are “defending themselves … against an external aggression”. The former celebrity TV presenter also said the long-running war was “futile” and called for it to end.
The critical comments angered Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Riyadh-led military coalition. Over the past two days, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain all summoned their ambassadors, while the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – also comprising Qatar and Oman – condemned Kordahi’s remarks.
The game show host-turned-minister said in a news conference that his comments about the war in Yemen were “not partisan”, and that those were his personal opinions before becoming a minister.
“I put the interests of Lebanon above all,” he said. “And we should not remain prone to blackmail from anyone, not from states, nor embassies, nor individuals.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun, who both have pushed for improving ties between Beirut and Riyadh, quickly dismissed Kordahi’s comments and insisted they did not represent Lebanon’s policies.
“It is true that we disassociate from conflicts, but we don’t disassociate ourselves from any position that is in solidarity with Saudi Arabia or the Gulf countries,” Mikati said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia and the GCC were once key political allies and economic backers of Lebanon. But lately, they have positioned themselves more on the sidelines, alarmed by the growing influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah and its allies in the Lebanese government, observers say.
Lebanon, now reeling from an economic crisis that has plunged almost three-quarters of its population into poverty, is hoping to restore relations of old.
Some analysts have suggested the fallout from Kordahi’s remarks may further push the GCC away from Lebanon, especially while Iran and Saudi Arabia continue de-escalatory talks. However, Elham Fakhro, a visiting scholar at the Centre for Gulf Studies at Exeter University, said that was not the case.
“The decision by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to summon their ambassadors from Lebanon is a reminder that despite the broader atmosphere of de-escalation in the region, red lines have not changed,” Fakhro told Al Jazeera.
“Both states view the Houthis as an arm of Iranian influence in Yemen, and are not willing to tolerate clear expressions of support for the group from the Lebanese state, nor are they unwilling to take action when they see Lebanon straying too far away from their sphere of influence.”
TWEET YOUR COMMENT