Lebanese Shiite cleric Muhammad Ali Al-Fouani appeared on the Israeli public broadcaster Kan, where he launched a sharp attack on Hezbollah, accusing it of wreaking destruction on Lebanon and turning vulnerable groups into victims of what he described as the “Iranian lie,” calling at the same time for the establishment of good relations between the Lebanese and Israeli peoples.
Al-Fouani is an opponent of Hezbollah and lives outside Lebanon. His name was included in 2023 on a list of 15 individuals considered by the Religious Reporting Authority of the Supreme Shiite Islamic Council to be unqualified for religious guidance and direction and to deal with religious affairs and personal status, based on general reasons mentioned in the decision, which included “ideological or behavioral deviation, or ignorance of religious knowledge and claiming belonging to the seminary,” without specifying the reason attributed to each name. Al-Fouani appealed the decision before the State Shura Council.
According to a report by journalist Roi Kayes on the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Al-Fouani said during an interview with the program “In Our Neighborhood”: “This organization brought destruction to Lebanon, and made us an object of hatred and alienation.”
He added: “Hezbollah claims to be a religious organization and calls for humility and morality, but its exterior does not reflect its interior. Therefore, as long as its members do not stick to their word, they are not telling the truth.”
He continued, “The Iranians brainwashed the oppressed with the lie of the guardianship of the jurist, that is, the absolute rule of the cleric, and turned them into victims. They pushed them to fight and die, so their dreams were dashed. Today, those whose sons were killed bear a grudge against Hezbollah.”
In response to a question about whether the party would agree to give up its weapons, or whether that did not go beyond wishful thinking, Al-Fouani said: “No, these are not dreams. Look at what happened to them in Syria, they fled from there.”
He considered that “Hezbollah knows that the people will turn against it when the time comes, and will hold a field trial against it,” adding: “If all countries move against it at the same time, it will collapse as it collapsed in Syria within 72 hours.”
At the conclusion of the interview, Al-Fouani sent a message to the Israelis, saying: “For us, you are the People of the Book, and there is essentially no hostility between us and you. Know that the Shiites are not part of the organization, and the public in Israel must say to its government: We want good relations with the Lebanese people, and it is your responsibility to achieve that.”
Al-Fouani’s statements reflect an extremely harsh position on Hezbollah, which is based on holding it responsible for what happened to Lebanon and calling for opening a different path in the relationship with Israel.
