BEIRUT: Reacting to Saudi Arabia’s decision to halt $4 billion in grants to purchase arms for the Lebanese military and police, the March 14 coalition called Sunday on the government to immediately meet to underline its commitment to Arab solidarity and unanimity, a move clearly aimed at checking what it sees as growing Iranian influence in the country. Following an emergency meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri at his Downtown Beirut residence to discuss the negative reverberations of the Saudi aid halt, the March 14 leaders held Hezbollah and its March 8 allies responsible for the kingdom’s unprecedented move, renewing their call on the party to withdraw from the war in Syria.

The meeting came shortly after Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, a key figure in the Future Movement, said he was resigning from the Cabinet in protest at what he called Hezbollah’s “domination” of the government, holding the party responsible for straining Lebanon’s relations with Riyadh.

In addition to exacerbating tensions between the March 14 and March 8 camps, the Saudi decision and Rifi’s resignation have cast the already divided government into further disarray over how to contain the negative impact from the suspension of military aid badly needed for the Army and security forces engaged in an open battle against terrorism.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam has called for an extraordinary Cabinet session at 10 a.m. Monday at the Grand Serail to discuss emergency matters, the National News Agency reported. There was no immediate comment from Salam on Rifi’s resignation. Minister for the Displaced Alice Shabtini was appointed as acting justice minister replacing Rifi, a Cabinet source told The Daily Star.

Following the two-hour meeting of March 14 leaders, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, head of the Future bloc in Parliament, read a statement warning that Lebanese-Arab relations are now in jeopardy because Hezbollah and its allies are giving priority to Iran’s interests.

“The Lebanese are living extremely serious and worrying times. In addition to the deterioration of the political and economic situation and the weakening of the institutions, starting with the failure to elect a president for 21 months, the crisis of strained relations with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries came to further heighten the dangers,” the statement said. “If Hezbollah and its allies continue through the illegal weapons to give priority to the interests of Iran over Lebanon’s supreme interest, it will damage its Arab role, belonging and presence, and it will definitely affect the socioeconomic security of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese families, from all the sects working in the Gulf countries,” it added.

The statement held “Hezbollah and its allies responsible of starting this serious problem with [Saudi Arabia] and other problems, and of harming the financial, security and socio-economic stability of Lebanon.”

“March 14 forces also demand the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the ongoing conflict in Syria and the region, in respect for the dissociation policy.”

“The March 14 forces ask the Lebanese government to respect the Constitution and international resolutions, and call it to meet immediately to take a clear and firm stance that underscores Lebanon’s commitment to Arab solidarity and unanimity and rejects any violation of the sovereignty of any Arab state,” the statement said.

Hariri warned that there would be escalatory measures if the Cabinet did not take a clear stance asserting Lebanon’s compliance with Arab unanimity.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said the government’s policy of disassociating Lebanon from regional conflicts was not being respected.

“We were clear on the dissociation issue, but today it is no longer permissible for Lebanon to be outside the existing Arab unanimity,” Hariri said, adding that the Cabinet has to take a clear stance Monday, “otherwise we will use a different language.”

Hariri pointed out that Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil did not coordinate his stance with Salam when he refrained from endorsing joint statements issued last month at separate meetings held in Cairo and Jeddah accusing Iran of “interference in Arab state affairs” and labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Asked whether the Saudi grant has been halted for some time now, Hariri said this is not true because some equipment was supposed to arrive in April and May, “but due to the shrewdness of some Lebanese politicians, we arrived to where we are today.” Asked if Lebanon’s sectarian political system allows such escalatory political stances, Hariri said: “Of course, as long as there is a party [Hezbollah] fighting in Syria.”

Speaker Nabih Berri said he supported the convening of the Cabinet to underscore Lebanon’s commitment to Arab unanimity. “A Cabinet session is essential in order to reassert Lebanon’s foreign policy on the basis agreed upon: disassociation from the Syrian crisis and commitment to Arab unanimity concerning joint Arab issues and Lebanon’s relations with its Arab brothers,” Berri was quoted as saying by visitors at his Ain al-Tineh residence.

He said that Iran, being a regional power, has always confirmed its keenness for good relations with Saudi Arabia. “When the Saudi embassy was attacked [by Iranian protesters] in Tehran [last month], the Iranian leadership quickly condemned the attack and arrested the culprits,” he said.

Hariri said that the Lebanese Forces rejected using Bassil’s name in the statement, prompting them to change it to “Hezbollah’s allies,” in reference to the Free Patriotic Movement which Bassil heads. Dozens of March 14 figures attended the meeting. LF chief Samir Geagea was represented by MP George Adwan.

In their statement, the March 14 leaders reiterated “their full support for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries” and rejected any offense against the sovereignty or independence of any Arab state.

“They reject any attempt to turn Lebanon into a base used to show enmity to any Arab country or to interfere in its internal affairs. The March 14 forces reject that Lebanon become a political, economic and cultural victim of any state, in particular of a state trying to extend its influence in Arab countries,” the statement said, referring to Iran.

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council over the weekend backed the Saudi decision to halt the military aid to Lebanon, raising concerns it could have repercussions for thousands of Lebanese living in Gulf countries.