Radio interview transcript with Omar Deeb, Head of Foreign Relations of the Lebanese Communist Party, on Sawt al-Shaab Radio about the latest political developments and the Zionist aggression on Lebanon

On the American Project and the New Middle East?
The Zionist enemy's current ambition is to achieve a "Greater Israel" in a political, security, and economic sense, not necessarily geographically. Israel seeks an imperial regional role, aiming to expand its control, normalize relations with neighboring countries, and integrate economically, which aligns with the American project for the region. For decades, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union, America has sought to weaken and dismantle national states in our region—sovereign states with administrations, governments, and armies. Regardless of our stance on any specific regime, the U.S. has succeeded in several places within our region. Weakening these states makes them easier for America to control and divides them along sectarian, ethnic, and national lines. This division facilitates both American dominance and Zionist influence, driving more countries toward normalization. Unfortunately, we have seen many Arab regimes and governments following this path. Though the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation put a stop to these governments' drift, the enemy is now trying to regain the initiative by attacking resistance movements and the region's peoples to advance its project.

For us, this is a long-term struggle. There may be victories or defeats in different phases, but the confrontation is ongoing. Amid the current intensity of battle, we must not view the present circumstances as permanent. The Palestinian people have resisted for decades, and our people in Gaza have faced genocidal war for a year. We are also in for a long confrontation with this enemy, and our victory will come through our resilience and refusal to submit, even if we suffer significant military and civilian losses. The key in this battle is not to surrender to the political conditions imposed on Lebanon—its government, political forces, and people.

On the Talk of Multiple Poles in the World: What About the Role of China and Russia?
There are major global shifts, with new states and powers rising to challenge U.S. dominance, but this change is slow. Many of these countries have their priorities within their own regions. While we view their opposition to aggression and efforts to find political solutions, such as ceasefire proposals, positively, we must also acknowledge that these countries are currently limited and incapable of decisive action. Many Lebanese and Palestinians feel they are left alone in this confrontation. There is also a sense of helplessness and inadequacy from the major powers. We are witnessing open genocide against several peoples in the region, and if Israel, backed by the U.S., wins this battle, it will shift the balance of power in the region and the world for a long time. These countries must take a stand—they don’t need to intervene militarily but could act politically and diplomatically. They are capable of threatening Israel with sanctions, cutting off relations, halting trade, and taking the initiative to organize international conferences. They have the ability to act but are currently doing the bare minimum.

On Iran's Role: How Can This Axis Be Strengthened and Given Greater Momentum?
Solidarity and cooperation are needed now more than ever among all the countries and peoples of this region—Arab states, their people and governments, leftist forces, and resistance movements, whether Islamic, national, or patriotic, alongside Iran and other regional states. Our peoples are being massacred, as we have seen in Gaza and Lebanon in recent days. These peoples must not be left alone, though there is a feeling of abandonment. We hope that the coming days will prove otherwise and lead to an Arab, national, and international awakening in support of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples. If not now, then when? If this isn’t the time to stand with the Lebanese people against the enemy, it may never happen.

Fear of the balance of power might lead many to hesitate, but we are paying the price for that hesitation. We now rely solely on the resilience of our people and their capacity for resistance. We have faced more difficult times, such as the Israeli occupation of southern villages in 1978 and the occupation of Beirut in 1982. We resisted, formed the Lebanese National Resistance Front, with its heroes from the Communist Party, national forces, and the national movement. These forces resisted with Arab and Syrian support, backed by the socialist bloc and the Soviet Union, which provided aid. The foundation of their achievements, however, was their strength on the ground, their connection to their people, and their knowledge of their homeland.

We hope that the conditions in this long-term confrontation will ultimately favor our people’s resilience and resistance against the enemy. As a party, we are doing everything we can in this battle to support our people's resilience, provide for displaced persons and refugees, and ensure medical aid, housing, and more. We are also working politically, both in Lebanon and abroad, to rally as much political and media support as possible for our people, launching solidarity campaigns worldwide as we did for the Palestinian people. We are fully committed to these efforts, but the key remains the people’s resilience and the ability of the resistance to thwart the enemy's goals of imposing submission and disconnecting Lebanon from supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza.

On the Governance Crisis in Lebanon, Hezbollah's Role, and the Delay in Presidential Elections?
We believe that a president should have been elected from the very first day of the vacancy, if not even a month before, to ensure the continuity of the state and its institutions. The collapse of the state leads to further disintegration and decline. However, the internal conflicts cannot be blamed on one group. We are well aware of the makeup of Parliament. The strongest parties are the ones blocking these elections. But in this moment of confrontation, we believe that internal conflicts must be set aside. The focus should be on national unity among the Lebanese people and political forces. Everyone knows we have political differences with the ruling forces, but for now, these disputes should be postponed.

We are in an existential battle that threatens our country’s fate, and this will be a long and extremely harsh battle—a new Gaza-like scenario. Just as we have called on the Palestinian people and factions to unite, we now call for Lebanese national unity based on a national project to confront this aggression. All internal political disputes can remain unresolved, but addressing them must be postponed. Of course, we urge all efforts to ensure the continuity of the state, including electing a president, even in times of war, and rejecting budgets that seek more taxes and cuts. Ensuring minimum living standards and wages for workers, employees, and public and private sector staff is also important. These forces should be striving for these goals. However, political conflicts between us and other forces and between those forces themselves should be put on hold. The primary focus today must be Lebanese national unity, based on a national project to confront the aggression, because this phase is decisive and difficult.