BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri said in comments to be published on Monday that the Lebanese will not surrender to Sunni-Shiite strife.
“Sunni-Shiite strife is a very difficult thing in Lebanon with 362,000 intermarriages between the two sects,” he told the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.
Berri said Israel was the main beneficiary of Sunni-Shiite strife in Lebanon, adding that Israel considered such strife “a chance of a lifetime.”
“The last time we were divided during the [1975-90] Civil War Israel made it to Beirut in 1982. Therefore we should be very wary of any divisions,” the speaker added.
The parliamentary majority and the Hizbullah-led coalition have been caught in a standoff in recent months over the indictment to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) probing the killing of Lebanese former Premier Rafik Hariri.
Hizbullah announced in July that the UN-backed court would issue a verdict against “rogue” members of the party.
Berri said Israelis were relying on the STL’s indictment to instigate strife in Lebanon. “But … as long as Saudi Arabia and Syria are on good terms, Lebanon will be free of strife.”
He added that the Lebanese ought to shoulder their responsibilities “because a solution should stem from Lebanon.”
He added that the Lebanese ought to shoulder their responsibilities “because a solution should stem from Lebanon.”
He said the manner by which accusations were made in the Hariri assassination first to Syria and later to Hizbullah raised several questions. “When 18 members from Hizbullah were still being heard they scheduled a date for issuing the indictment and they informed [Hizbullah leader] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of the matter,” Berri said. “If you were in Sayyed Nasrallah’s shoes would you agree to be held responsible for the crime?”
Asked about Hizbullah and its allies’ reaction in case the STL issued an indictment against Hizbullah, Berri said ambassadors to Lebanon always ask the same question.
“This question is one of the reasons behind current tensions. How do the ambassadors know about the indictment? Does this mean the tribunal is politicized?” Berri asked.
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