Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe angrily walked out of an interview with A-Hurra following a heated exchange with Saudi political commentator Salman Al-Ansari.
“Michel Aoun is the one who said that Lebanon will go to hell,” Al-Ansari was saying during the debate, to which a disgruntled Wehbe quickly responded with, “His Excellency, President Michel Aoun.”
“His Excellency, the President of the Republic, we have all the respect for him,” Wehbe added, visibly getting more agitated as his opponent in the debate continued talking about the situation in Lebanon.
As Al-Ansari went on, Wehbe removed his microphone and started to get up from his chair.
“You want to insult the President of the Republic while I remain silent? I won’t remain silent,” the official told off the Saudi commentator.
The TV host tried to bring Wehbe to sit down and resume the conversation, but he refused, telling the host: “I’m in Lebanon, I’m being insulted by someone from the Bedouins… I don’t want to continue.” He then walked away from the debate.
Some of Wehbe‘s comments during the Al-Hurra interview, regarding the alleged role of what he called “brotherly countries” in the rise of ISIS, have received backlash in the Lebanese political scene.