The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, showed a sharper stance towards the current political developments, expressing his deep concern and dissatisfaction with the tendency of the Presidents of the Republic and the Government towards engaging in direct negotiations with Israel, in light of the delicate field conditions that Lebanon is going through.
According to what was reported by Al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri affirmed his complete rejection of any kind of direct dialogue with Israel, declaring to his visitors that the priority must be to ceasefire, protect national unity, and avoid falling into internal conflicts. He pointed out that this opinion is not a spur of the moment, but has been expressed repeatedly, most recently in a statement issued by the Presidency of the “Amal” movement a few days ago, and also in a statement by the movement’s Executive Board.
Commenting on the statement issued after the Lebanese ambassador’s meeting with the Israeli ambassador in Washington, Berri expressed his astonishment at the way the officials followed, saying: “They went to the United States to bring about a ceasefire, but then they returned to fight Hezbollah,” considering that moving away from participating in a negotiating process within a broader regional framework, and moving towards individual negotiation without the presence of power cards, will weaken Lebanon’s position instead of strengthening it.
In a related context, the newspaper indicated that the resistance has expanded the scope of its operations, adopting a new method targeting deployment sites, with the aim of preventing Israeli forces from establishing their positions on the border.
Berri revealed, as he was quoted as saying, that he is in daily contact with the Islamic Republic of Iran, recalling that he received from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, before the announcement of the truce between Iran and the United States, an assurance that Tehran will not accept any ceasefire that does not include Lebanon. He added, “After the confusion that occurred in Beirut regarding this path, he decided to move through other channels.”
In this context, Berri explained that sending his political aide, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, to Riyadh came at the request of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of clear political efforts, stressing that “he did not go there to mourn or perform Umrah.”
Berri’s statements come in the midst of an internal dispute over how to deal with the current situation, especially with increasing international pressure to push for calm on the southern front, along with diplomatic moves led by Washington to open negotiation channels, whether direct or indirect.
This disagreement reflects a deeper division within the Lebanese arena between those who call for exploiting the available diplomatic opportunities, and those who warn against any negotiating path that does not rely on clear field and political balances, in light of the continuing confrontations and intertwined regional files, especially those related to Iran.
