مركز القوات اللبنانية في ملبورن يحيي حفله السنوي برعاية الدكتور سمير جعجع ممثّلًا بالنائب غياث يزبك

Lebanese Forces Melbourne Centre Holds Annual Gala Under the Patronage of Dr Samir Geagea, Represented by MP Ghayath Yazbeck

The Lebanese Forces Party – Melbourne Centre held its annual gala under the patronage of Lebanese Forces Party Leader Dr Samir Geagea, represented by Strong Republic Bloc MP Ghayath Yazbeck, who was accompanied by his wife, Helen Yazbeck.

The event was attended by Lebanon’s Consul General in Victoria, Dr. Tannous kabiity; Lebanon’s Honorary Consul in Tasmania, Mr Fadi Zouki; and Honorary Consul to Morocco in Melbourne., Mr Roland Jabour.

Australian parliamentarians and government representatives also attended, including Minister Melissa Horne, representing Victorian Premier Ben Carroll; MP Evan Mulholland, representing Opposition Leader Jess Wilson; Labor MP Natalie Hutchins; Liberal MP Trung Luu; Labor MP Kathleen Matthews-Ward; and Liberal MP Richard Welch.

Representing the Lebanese Forces in Australia were Australia Coordinator Tony Obeid; Melbourne Centre President Elia Melhem and his wife; Sydney Centre President Louis Fares; members of the Melbourne Centre; and former MP Cesar Melhem.

The event was also attended by Liberal Party candidates Bernadette Khoury, President of the Australian-Lebanese Business Council, representing a northern Melbourne electorate; Natalie Moussa, candidate for Sydenham; Ghada Noune, candidate for Laverton; and Linda Awad, candidate for Northcote.

And Labor Party candidate Uros Rasic For the electorate of Sydenham

Dr Basma Hawli, a politician, entrepreneur and community leader in Victoria, attended as an independent candidate for the Legislative Council in the Northern Metropolitan Region. Mohammed Al-Mustapha attended as an independent candidate for Broadmeadows.

Also present were Dr Philip Zada, Deputy Mayor of Melton City Council, and Ali Khoder, President of the Australian Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (ALCC).

Religious and Community Representatives

Clergy in attendance included Fr Rami Choulami of the Mar Charbel Monastery; Fr Richard Jabbour and Fr Elie Yammine of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church; Fr Elias Matta and his wife, representing Saints Peter and Paul Melkite Catholic Church; and Fr Joubran Abou-Saba of St Joseph Melkite Catholic Church.

Representatives of allied Lebanese political parties and movements also attended, including the Kataeb Party, the Future Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Independence Movement.

Community organisations represented at the event included the Australian Lebanese Youth Club, Hadchit Association, Bcharre Association, Aachach Association, Mar Moura Bqerzla Association, Bqerzla Club and Zgharta Youth Movement.

The gathering also welcomed The Continental President of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU); The Continental Secretary-General; and The President of the Victorian Council, accompanied by his wife. A large number of businesspeople, media representatives, community organisation representatives, members of the Lebanese community and Lebanese Forces supporters were also present.

Messages of Support from Victorian Political Leaders

The programme included addresses by Minister Melissa Horne, representing Victorian Premier Ben Carroll, and MP Evan Mulholland, representing Opposition Leader Jess Wilson.

Both speakers expressed solidarity with the Lebanese community in Victoria and praised the community’s longstanding contribution to Australian society. They highlighted the depth of Australian-Lebanese relations, which date back to before the First World War.

The event also provided an opportunity for representatives of both the Liberal and Labor parties to promote their candidates ahead of the Victorian state election scheduled for November.

Address by Elia Melhem, President of the Lebanese Forces Melbourne Centre

The following is a summary of the key points from Elia Melhem’s address, delivered in English.

1. Who We Are

• The Lebanese Forces is not merely a political party; it is a cause rooted in sacrifice for a free and sovereign Lebanon.

• Our commitment to Lebanon goes hand in hand with our contribution to Australia.

2. The Lebanese Community in Australia

• Lebanese people have been part of Australian society for more than 140 years.

• Lebanese Australians have helped build the country through hard work, business ownership, professional achievement and raising families.

• We take pride in our Lebanese heritage, just as we take pride in being Australian.

3. The Decline of Australia’s Industrial Strength

• Australia has moved from a strong industrial economy to one heavily reliant on overseas production and imports.

• Manufacturing’s share of the economy has fallen from approximately one-third in the 1960s to around five per cent today.

• The decline of local industries has weakened economic independence, reduced employment opportunities and left families more vulnerable during crises.

4. The Cost-of-Living Crisis

• Families are facing rising costs for food, fuel, electricity, rent and mortgage repayments.

• Young people are finding it increasingly difficult to purchase their first homes.

• Small businesses are struggling with rising costs and regulatory burdens.

• Higher taxes as incomes rise are limiting the ability of working families to improve their living standards.

5. Four Key Priorities for the Lebanese Community

• Lowering the cost of living: Introducing sustainable measures to ease the burden of energy, food and housing costs.

• Fairer taxation: Enabling working families to retain a greater share of their income and supporting small businesses rather than placing them under excessive pressure.

• Rebuilding Australian industry: Revitalising local manufacturing, training young people and creating secure employment opportunities.

• Fair community funding: Providing appropriate support for churches, schools, clubs, associations, young people, older Australians and community centres throughout Australia.

6. Strengthening Lebanese-Australian Representation in Parliament

• Lebanese Australians deserve stronger representation across all political parties and at every level of government.

• Greater Lebanese-Australian representation in Parliament can help defend the community’s interests and strengthen Australia’s support for a free and sovereign Lebanon.

• The community was encouraged to engage with political parties, stand for local council and contest parliamentary elections.

7. A United Community Across Australia

• The Lebanese community should stand together, from Melbourne to Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

• A united community speaking with a common voice is better placed to defend its interests and contribute to Australia’s future.

8. A Free and Sovereign Lebanon

• The Lebanese Forces remains committed to freedom, democracy, strong state institutions and a Lebanon free from corruption.

• Its vision is of a peaceful Lebanon that respects its people and provides them with opportunities to live with dignity.

• Its fundamental principle is: One Army. One Government. Zero Militias.

9. Community Solidarity and Humanitarian Support

• The occasion called for unity, cooperation and collective action towards a better future in both Australia and Lebanon.

• All proceeds from the gala will be allocated to medical assistance, food aid and disaster relief in Lebanon.

Address by MP Ghayath Yazbeck

The evening concluded with an address by MP Ghayath Yazbeck, delivered in both English and Arabic. The following are the key points from the Arabic address and a summary of the English address.

Key Points from the Arabic Address

On the Lebanese diaspora and its connection to Lebanon

“Since arriving in Australia, I have not felt that I had left Lebanon. I would go even further: in your faces, marked by the deep pain of separation from family and homeland, and in your eyes and on your brows, radiating patriotism, love and generosity, I see the true Lebanon that we have struggled for over fifty years, and continue to struggle for, so that it may become a free, sovereign and independent nation.”

On Iranian hegemony and Hezbollah

“We, together with you, our friends in the West and the Arab countries, are working to rid ourselves of the abhorrent Persian-Iranian foreign hegemony embodied by the Party of Iran, a subordinate faction conspiring against its own country and the dignity of its people.”

On state decisions and the exclusive authority over arms

“Our resistance, dear friends, through peaceful, constitutional, legal and diplomatic means, enabled us to elect a sovereign-minded President and form a national government led by a sovereign-minded Prime Minister. This government took unprecedented decisions to negotiate directly with Israel under American auspices. It also took sovereign decisions on 5 and 7 August 2025, and on 2 March 2026, calling for the withdrawal of all weapons belonging to militias, the disarmament of Hezbollah and the recognition of those weapons as illegitimate.”

On the failure to implement government decisions

“Regrettably, my friends, everything stopped there. All government decisions remain on paper to this day. This has caused despair and raised questions among the Lebanese people and their friends, prompting serious doubts about the reasons for this standstill. There are growing and justified fears that Lebanon may miss this historic opportunity to restore its sovereignty, as everyone agrees that such an opportunity may not come again.”

On parliamentary elections

“The objective pursued by the Party of Iran and its allies is, of course, to secure a postponement of the elections, fearing that this group will face punishment from the electorate at the ballot box.”

He added:

“Instead of introducing the necessary improvements to the electoral law, such as allowing expatriates to vote for all 128 MPs, providing magnetic voting cards and implementing major polling centres (megacentres), they have moved towards making profound structural changes to the law that cannot be achieved at this time.”

On Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi

“As for Minister Raggi, he restored the ministry’s Lebanese identity, making it speak in Lebanon’s name and pursue Lebanon’s interests rather than those of any other country. He raised Lebanon’s standing, explained the truth about the Lebanese cause, pointed to Lebanon’s real enemy and brought Lebanon’s name to the highest international forums.”

On Energy Minister Joe Saddi and electricity reform

“Minister Saddi stood up to them, put an end to the drain of public funds through fuel financing and its associated mafias, and drew up a roadmap to reform Lebanon’s plundered and devastated electricity sector.”

On the measures needed to improve electricity supply, he said:

“The state must pay the US$300 million in overdue bills it owes to Électricité du Liban.”

“The state must also allow the Energy Minister to adopt a sliding-scale pricing mechanism so that he can continue providing electricity for between six and seven hours a day.”

On sovereignty and investment

“We will not have a productive and profitable electricity sector unless Hezbollah is disarmed, so that investors can invest with confidence. The same applies to every sector in Lebanon.”

Conclusion

He concluded:

“One cannot combine an army with a militia, nor investment with destruction, just as water can never be married to fire.”

Key Points from the English Address

MP Ghayath Yazbeck began by emphasising the deep historical and human ties between Lebanon and Australia, which extend back approximately a century and a half. He noted that Australia had served as a refuge and a second home for many Lebanese who were compelled to leave their country during difficult periods.

He discussed the history of the Lebanese Forces, including its dissolution and banning in 1994, and the repression, arrests, political exclusion and assassinations endured by its members and supporters. He highlighted the party’s return to political life and its position today as Lebanon’s largest parliamentary bloc.

Yazbeck stressed that the Lebanese Forces’ mission extends beyond legislation and overseeing the implementation of laws. It also includes protecting the democratic system and preventing its erosion from within. He reaffirmed the party’s commitment to the rule of law, the separation of powers, political pluralism, freedom of expression and the preservation of Lebanon’s distinctive liberal and democratic identity in the region.

Towards the conclusion of his address, Yazbeck conveyed the greetings of Lebanese Forces Party Leader Dr Samir Geagea to those present. He referred to Geagea’s political imprisonment, during which he spent eleven years in solitary confinement because of his opposition to the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. Geagea was released in 2005 following the withdrawal of Syrian forces and subsequently rebuilt the party, leading it to its current political standing.

Yazbeck also conveyed Geagea’s appreciation for the friendship, solidarity and human bonds between Lebanon and Australia, which have been passed down through generations over many decades.

Following the address, Australia Coordinator Tony Obeid and Melbourne Centre President Elia Melhem presented MP Ghayath Yazbeck with a Lebanese Forces commemorative shield on behalf of the Melbourne Centre.