Berri slams framework deal anew, warns against negotiating under fire

Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday again lashed out at the framework agreement that was signed in June between Lebanon and Israel.

“The current stage, with its existential risks, does not grant anyone the right to act on any of the sovereign titles under any pretext, whether a framework agreement or secret appendices or otherwise,” said Berri in an annual speech marking the anniversary of Imam Moussa al-Sadr’s disappearance.

“After seven rounds of negotiations, the occupied area has expanded and Israel is continuing its war,” Berri noted.

“We exercised our democratic right in rejecting the framework agreement and we maintain the same position, and we warned against negotiating with the Israeli enemy under fire,” the Speaker reminded.

Stressing that the South is an integral part of Lebanon, Berri said the responsibility for “preserving it and its people and reconstruction is the state's responsibility.”

He warned that Israel is “not going after Hezbollah and its weapons or the Amal Movement or the Shiite community,” but is rather seeking “strife.”

“We categorically reject any questioning of the army's role as a national institution that is the protector and nurturer of the hopes and aspirations of the Lebanese people,” Berri added.

He also cautioned that “any call for partitioning or federalism” would be “inconsistent with the Taif Agreement, but rather an adventure that threatens the existence of Lebanon.”

“We affirm our commitment to the Taif Agreement and reject any other projects,” Berri added.