Sami Gemayel: Phalange Not Ashamed of Its Past

MP Sami Gemayel said Wednesday that the Phalange was not ashamed of its past despite accusations that the party was proud of its collaboration with Israel during the civil war.

"They say we are proud of our collaboration with Israel," Gemayel said about his critics during a press conference. "Maybe they are used to collaborating with people who gave up their past in favor of their own interests."

He said the Phalange is not ashamed of resorting to Israel during the civil war to arm itself. "No one would make us feel ashamed for defending ourselves when the knife was put at our throats."

"When the Syrian army and Palestinian (gunmen) were at one side and the (Christian) resistance on the other and massacres were committed in Christian villages, no one blamed us for taking arms from the devil to defend ourselves," Gemayel said.

"This ended in 1990 with the end of the Lebanese (civil) war," he added.

Urging the state to put a standard to deal with suspected spies after 1990, Gemayel said: "Every person who collaborated with a foreign country against his own country is considered an agent."