Latest news with #al-Joumhouria
Nahar Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berri urges govt. to prioritize reconstruction, says 'will escalate if Salam escalates'
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri seems to support ally Hezbollah in its cold war with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Salam, who vowed the state's monopoly on arms since his appointment, recently escalated his rhetoric saying that the era of "exporting the Iranian revolution has ended" and that the state "will not remain silent over any arms outside the state's control". "The region has grown tired of Iranian-U.S. polarization," he said. Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad responded criticizing Salam for recently omitting the word "Resistance" from the "Resistance and Liberation Day" holiday in one of his statements, but said he would not say more "to preserve what's left of cordiality." Berri seemed to take Hezbollah's side, telling local al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Friday, that "if Salam escalates, we will escalate and if he chooses to calm things down, we will calm them down." Berri went on to say that it is the government's responsibility to prioritize the construction of war-hit regions, "whether it likes it or not." "It must be the first topic to discuss with sisterly countries, especially since Lebanon has begun strengthening its relations with the world." Salam had said that Lebanon, exhausted by divisions and wars, is returning to the Arab fold and will be open to the world.
Nahar Net
4 days ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berri not notified of Ortagus visit, says US hasn't done enough to stop Israeli violations
by Naharnet Newsdesk 27 May 2025, 14:51 Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has only heard about U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus' visit to Lebanon from media reports. Berri told local al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that he hasn't been formally informed that Ortagus would visit Lebanon next week and that he has not seen any tangible steps from the U.S. regarding the Israeli violations of the November ceasefire. Israel has continued to launch near-daily airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon and sometimes in Beirut's suburbs despite a November 27 truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war. Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, the only armed bodies in southern Lebanon are meant to be U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon's army, though Israel has retained its forces in five areas it has declared strategic. "We are committed to the ceasefire," Berri said, urging the U.S. to compel Israel to stop its attacks. Al-Akhbar newspaper had earlier reported that the Lebanese presidency was informed of a postponement of a visit by Ortagus from May to June and that the U.S. diplomat would carry with her a list of U.S. conditions for Israel's complete withdrawal from south Lebanon and a halt of its attacks on the country and would pressure Lebanon to consider joining peace accords with Israel. Ortagus said last week that Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah across the country.
Nahar Net
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Normalization with Israel 'unthinkable' and Ortagus did not mention it, Berri says
by Naharnet Newsdesk 07 April 2025, 15:56 Parliament Speaker and Hezbollah ally Nabih Berri has told Deputy U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus that her past stances were not "encouraging" but said his meeting Saturday with her was "positive", al-Joumhouria newspaper said Monday. In her last visit to war-hit Lebanon on February, Ortagus voiced from Baabda pro-Israel statements. "We are grateful to our ally Israel for defeating Hezbollah," Ortagus said, adding that the United States has set a "red line" that Hezbollah should not be a member of Lebanon's next government. Berri, who helped broker the ceasefire with Israel criticized continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beirut suburbs, accusing Israel of violating the truce and U.N. Resolution 1701, as he met Ortagus Saturday. He also criticized the Israeli occupation of five strategic hills in south Lebanon and the release of the Lebanese detained in Israeli prisons. Al-Joumhouria's sources quoted Berri as saying that Ortagus did not threaten Lebanon and did not call for normalizing ties with Israel. "The Israelis themselves have not raised the issue, so why are some of us rushing into normalization?" Berri was quoted as saying. "Normalizing ties with Israel is unacceptable and unthinkable." Ortagus also met in Lebanon with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. She emphasized the need for the Lebanese Army to assert control over all Lebanese territory, not just south of the Litani River. In a statement on X, Aoun described his meeting with Ortagus as "constructive."
Nahar Net
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berri says postponing elections 'out of question', south would vote despite ruins
by Naharnet Newsdesk 03 April 2025, 15:40 Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that the municipal elections will not be postponed despite the devastation caused by more than 13-monthes of war with Israel. "Postponing the elections is absolutely out of the question," Berri told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Thursday. "We insist on holding the elections in all Lebanese territories, especially in the municipalities of the south that were destroyed by the Israeli aggression," Berri said, adding that voting can take place in any building in any nearby town. "We will vote even if we have to do it on the ruins," he said.
Nahar Net
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
What will Lebanon leaders tell Ortagus?
by Naharnet Newsdesk 04 April 2025, 13:52 As Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Morgan Ortagus is due in Beirut in a diplomatic bid to resolve several outstanding issues between Lebanon and Israel, Israel carried out Friday a strike on south Lebanon's port city of Sidon, killing a Hamas commander, despite a truce reached in late November. A senior official told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the three Lebanese leaders - Speaker Nabih Berri, PM Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun - will tell Ortagus that Lebanon's priority is the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the five points where they are still deployed in south Lebanon and the cessation of Israeli attacks and violations. The sticking points between Lebanon and Israel that the U.S. is planning to address include the 5 points still occupied in south Lebanon and the release of Lebanese prisoners who were kidnapped during the war. But Washington also wants to address the remaining disputed points along the Blue Line on the Lebanese-Israeli border, by "bringing together Lebanon and Israel for talks aimed at diplomatically resolving" these issues. Lebanon, for its part, has refused direct negotiations and its leaders have said many times that Lebanon is not ready for normalizing ties with Israel. The official said that Lebanon wants the border demarcation to be negotiated through a military and technical committee and not through direct talks, like in 2022 when Lebanese and Israeli leaders separately signed a U.S.-brokered maritime demarcation deal after months of indirect talks.
