RIYADH: Twenty years after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and three years after his younger brother Saad quit politics, Bahaa Hariri says he is ready to return to Lebanon and revive his family’s legacy.
Appearing on the Arab News weekly program “Frankly Speaking,” he outlined his reasons for returning now, his views on Lebanon’s new leadership, his stance on Hezbollah and Syria, and his message to his country’s Shiite community.
The eldest son of Rafik Hariri, Bahaa Hariri has long remained outside Lebanon’s turbulent political stage. He built a career in business abroad, often keeping a distance from the battles that consumed Beirut’s political scene. But speaking to host Katie Jensen, he insisted that his decision to return now was not about timing but about responsibility.
“The situation is very delicate, and Lebanon needs people who are honest and who want to make sure that Lebanon passes that delicate period,” he said.
“It’s not about being too late or too early — it’s about doing the right thing. Therefore we are here to do the right thing — to be with our nation in the most delicate time and to do our best in serving it and making sure that it passes that period. That to me — not only in Lebanon, but in the region too — is extremely critical.”
