Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said that the Arab-Israeli struggle has been the main conflict in the Middle East.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said that the Arab-Israeli struggle has been the main conflict in the Middle East.

During a pastrol visit to Mexico, al-Rahi said there have been two kinds of struggles in the region, the Arab –Israeli one, which he considered the major conflict that caused the other strives.
“As to the second kind, it is what we are witnessing in other countries”, Rahi said, regretting that there “are countries which are scenes for several great conflicts”.

The Patriarch also said that Lebanon should adopt a neutral regional policy.
“Lebanon should be neutral and not attached to any alliance in order to become a universal meeting space”.

He added that Lebanon should maintain its “international mission, as it could be considered the only country in the region enjoying democracy and freedom.”

Talking about the Christians in the Arab world, he said they were far from being a minority.
“I reject the international community’s assumptions that the Christians should be protected because they are a fundamental and strong constituent of the Middle East”.