Nabih Berri, Lebanon's Parliament Speaker and leader of the Shia Amal movement, has strongly opposed the U.S.-brokered framework agreement with Israel, arguing it is internally contradictory and cannot be implemented. Berri warned that the deal is designed to sow discord among Lebanese and said he would not allow it to pass, adding that the 'Israeli project' threatens all Arab states.
Nabih Berri, the powerful Parliament Speaker and head of the Shia Amal movement, delivered a sweeping rejection of the U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, calling it self-contradictory and impossible to implement. In a statement Sunday evening, Berri accused the deal of being designed to sow discord among Lebanese, saying he would not accept it or allow it to happen. He described the agreement as "outside the boundaries of logic" and out of touch with Arab and international positions.
Berri also said the "Israeli project" poses a danger to all Arab states, and argued that Lebanon should anchor itself in regional and international positions that can provide protective guarantees. He warned that a threat to Lebanon is a threat to the Arab world, and that the occupation of southern Lebanon poses a danger not only to Lebanon but also to Syria.
The rejection from Berri — a key Shia political figure whose Amal movement is closely allied with Hezbollah — adds to the mounting opposition against the Washington agreement. Last week, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem condemned the pact as "humiliating" and vowed to block it, while Christian leader Samir Geagea of the Lebanese Forces party publicly backed the deal and attacked Berri for opposing it. The framework remains a deeply divisive issue in Lebanese politics, with the Shia-led opposition facing a Christian-led camp that sees the agreement as a historic opportunity.
2 developments
- DevelopingLebanese Forces leader Geagea backs framework deal with Israel, attacks Berri
- DevelopingLebanese Parliament Speaker Berri: Shia parties reject Israeli 'pilot zones' in US proposal
- DevelopingLebanese Speaker Reportedly Sets Conditions for Israel Deal
- ConfirmedHezbollah chief Qassem condemns new Israel-Lebanon framework as 'humiliating,' vows to block it
Source and signal
- Internal intake