Lebanese MP, Major General Jamil Al-Sayyed, sparked political controversy after commenting on the absence of political figures from commemorating the anniversary of the former Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, directing sharp criticism at those he described as boycotters who had previously sought to get closer to the party.
In a post on his official account on the “X” platform, Al-Sayed considered that Lebanese and Arab customs and traditions necessitate participation in condolence and memorial occasions, regardless of political and personal differences and rivalries, indicating that such occasions usually constitute an opportunity to clear the atmosphere and improve relations, even between adversaries.
Al-Sayyid explained that some of the boycotters were previously competing to get closer to Hezbollah and gain the approval of its officials, specifically Wafiq Safa, considering that their current absence aims to send messages of satisfaction to external parties and disavow any previous association with the party. Al-Sayed did not name the characters he meant in his comment.
In the same context, he stressed that the attendance of the party’s opponents at such events does not necessarily mean that they adopted its policies, while he described the boycott of those who were close to him as “the trade of weak souls,” criticizing at the same time another group that he said attended the event despite standing in a gray area between the two positions.
