📰 3 sources 3 articles · 26 Oct 2026, 11:45 → 2 hours ago

Jumblatt: We erred by not choosing the "Islamabad path"; the "Rubio path" will lead nowhere

Lebanese leader Walid Jumblatt stirred debate with a remark saying the mistake was not choosing the "Islamabad path" and choosing the "Rubio path" instead, which he said "will not lead us anywhere". Three Lebanese outlets carried the statement, one of them linking it to Israeli election results and the risks of war.

📍 Where things stand: The statement stands as reported by the three outlets, and no official response to it was reported in these articles.

⏱️ Timeline

26 Oct 2026, 11:45 Elnashra published a remark by Lebanese leader Walid Jumblatt saying the mistake was not choosing the "Islamabad path", and that the "Rubio path" that was chosen "will not lead us anywhere".
26 Oct 2026, 12:37 Lebanon ON specified that Jumblatt, former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, made the remark in an interview with media figure Hadley Gamble for the IMI media network, and that he named the "Marco Rubio path", saying it "will not lead us anywhere".
27 Oct 2026, 00:30 Al Akhbar quoted Jumblatt saying Lebanon erred when it gave up "Islamabad", and that the "Rubio path" will lead nowhere, at a time when Israeli election results indicated that the risks of war are not dissipating.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Who is described as having erred

"We erred when we did not choose the Islamabad path" according to Elnashra
"The mistake was not choosing the Islamabad path" according to Lebanon ON
"Lebanon erred when it gave up Islamabad" according to Al Akhbar

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Elnashra and Lebanon ON focused on the wording of the statement itself, with Lebanon ON adding the interview context, the IMI network and the name "Marco Rubio", while Al Akhbar attributed the error to Lebanon and tied the remark to Israeli election results and the risks of war.

Elnashra Presented the remark in the first person ("we erred when we did not choose the Islamabad path"), without mentioning the interview setting or the outlet it was given to.
Lebanon ON Added that the remark came in an interview with Hadley Gamble for the IMI network, used the full name "Marco Rubio", and described Jumblatt as former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party.
Al Akhbar Reported the remark as "Lebanon erred when it gave up Islamabad", and placed it in the context of Israeli election results and talk that the risks of war are not dissipating.

AI comparison of what each outlet emphasized. It describes emphasis, not accuracy.

ElnashraLebanon ONAl Akhbar

📰 All coverage

📅 2026-10-27

Al Akhbar 00:30

Jumblatt: Lebanon erred when it abandoned 'Islamabad'... and 'Rubio's path' will not lead anywhere

Walid Jumblatt said Lebanon erred when it abandoned 'Islamabad', and argued that 'Rubio's path' will not lead anywhere, while Israeli election results indicated that the risks of w…

📅 2026-10-26

Lebanon ON 12:37

Jumblatt: We erred by not choosing the Islamabad path and choosing Marco Rubio's path instead

Former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt said in an interview with IMI Media's Hadley Gamble that the mistake was not choosing the "Islamabad path" and inste…

Elnashra 11:45

Jumblatt: We erred when we did not choose the Islamabad path and chose Rubio's path, which will not lead us anywhere

Lebanese leader Walid Jumblatt said that choosing the Islamabad path would have been more correct than choosing the Rubio path, considering that the latter will not lead anywhere, …