Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Monday that the U.S.-brokered framework agreement with Israel is far worse than the failed May 1983 accord, warning it could trigger internal conflict in Lebanon. Berri's remarks, reported by Israeli public broadcaster Kan, came as the deal continues to divide Lebanon's political leadership.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri escalated his opposition to the U.S.-brokered framework agreement with Israel on Monday morning, calling it "10 times worse" than the failed May 17, 1983 accord and warning it could trigger internal clashes among Lebanese factions. The remarks, reported by Kan, mark Berri's most forceful condemnation yet of a deal that has sharply divided Lebanon's political leadership.
The thread shows Berri's stance hardening over consecutive days. At 14:04 on Saturday, June 27, The Zioneer reported Berri's initial civil-war warning and his characterization of the deal as a "set of demands." Later that same hour, a separate dispatch noted he had called it "10 times worse" than the 1983 pact and warned of division. By 14:04 on Saturday, Berri was quoted explicitly saying the framework "will not be adopted" by parliament. On Monday, Kan's report — the source for this update — adds an on-record attributed warning that the deal is "10 times worse" and risks civil war, citing Berri by name and expanding on his earlier, less specific criticism.
As The Zioneer reported at 07:47 on Monday, Berri had already rejected the deal in an earlier statement, calling it a "set of demands" and reiterating that the Lebanese army is a red line. On Sunday, June 28 at 15:30 Jerusalem, Christian Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea publicly backed the framework, calling it the most important step in 50 years and directly attacking Berri. That sectarian split — Shia opposition led by Berri versus Christian endorsement from Geagea — has defined the deal's political reception in Lebanon.
The deal's security terms remain under negotiation, and Berri's warning of internal strife echoes fears voiced by Hezbollah-aligned outlets. No ratification date has been set. It remains unclear whether Berri will attempt to formally block the agreement in parliament or how the Lebanese army — which he insists must be protected — might be tasked with enforcement. Berri's claim that the deal is "10 times worse" than the 1983 accord is an assertion that could not be independently verified; the 1983 agreement collapsed amid civil war and Syrian opposition before ratification.
7 developments
- DevelopingLebanese Forces leader Geagea backs framework deal with Israel, attacks Berri
- DevelopingLebanese Speaker Reportedly Sets Conditions for Israel Deal
- DevelopingLebanese Parliament Speaker says Hezbollah working to undermine deal with Israel
- StrongHezbollah says it is not committed to the framework deal with Israel
Source and signal
- Internal intake