Lebanese President Michel Aoun urged on Tuesday political leaders to assume their responsibilities in protecting the country’s security and stability, a day after a video of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil calling Speaker Nabih Berri a “thug” emerged and created uproar. Supporters of the speaker took to the streets in protest, while officials from his political bloc traded accusations with Bassil’s Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). Aoun, Bassil’s father-in-law and founder of the FPM, said: “What happened yesterday on the political and security levels harmed all sides.” “The political rhetoric reached a low level that does not suit the Lebanese people,” he added in a statement. "What happened on the ground is a big mistake based on a mistake," Aoun said. "I forgive all those who assaulted me and my family, and I look to those who insulted each other to forgive each other," he said. The FPM said Bassil had already expressed regret for the comments and it regarded the issue as over.