Berri to Netanyahu: These are issues ‘that don’t work with us’

Thaer Abbas wrote in Asharq Al-Awsat:

Efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah entered the stage of negotiating documents for the first time since the escalation of the war late last September, after the Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri to receive a written American proposal, followed by discussions with the Americans. and Hezbollah, which had allowed Berri to negotiate.

While Lebanon is expected to respond to the American paper “very soon” with a written paper that also includes the views of the Lebanese side. President Berri confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that he had received the American proposal, denying that this proposal included any kind of freedom of movement for the Israeli army in Lebanon , stressing that the Americans and others know that it is not acceptable and cannot even be discussed. in principle, and we cannot accept it. Berri also denied that the proposal included the deployment of NATO or other forces in Lebanon.

Berri revealed that the proposal includes a text that is “unacceptable to Lebanon,” which is the question of establishing a committee to monitor the implementation of Resolution 1701, which includes several Western countries. He said: “There is now a discussion going on about the proposed alternative mechanism, and we will not pursue it, as there is a clear mechanism in place and there is no objection to its implementation,” a ‘ refers to the international force operating in southern Lebanon, which is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the decision issued after the 2006 war.
Berri wanted to confirm that the discussion is already going on about these details, and that “work is going on, the mood is positive, and the result is the lesson. depends on the development and progress of the negotiations.”

In response to a question about Israel’s targeting of its own village in the town of Tibnin in southern Lebanon, and the districts of Ghobeiry, Chiyah, and Burj al-Barajneh, which are areas that traditionally support to Berri, the Speaker of the Council said: it seems that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thinks that when he wants a flash from someone, he is hard on us.”