Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, on Sunday firmly rejected the trilateral framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the United States. The Makor Rishon Hebrew newspaper this weekend described Berri as "one of the wealthiest people in Lebanon" and the man "who is as powerful as the president and prime minister and has functioned for years as Hezbollah's political face and 'flak jacket' vis a vis the West, holding the country's key legislative position while promoting Iran and Hezbollah's interests."
In a statement issued by Berri’s Amal movement and quoted by AFP, Berri said the agreement will not pass as it does not guarantee Lebanon’s rights.
“This agreement will not pass, and it will not be implemented in its current form," said the Speaker, claiming the document was “an agreement of ‘dictates,’ not an agreement that preserves Lebanon’s rights."
The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday, paves the way for Lebanese-Israeli peace and conditions Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon on the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah on Friday stated in an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, which is affiliated with the organization, that the Lebanese government will be unable to enforce the agreement signed in Washington unless it is actively seeking a US-backed civil war.
Fadlallah charged that the negotiations in Washington were an attempt to sabotage the Pakistani-sponsored negotiation track, declaring, "Without Hezbollah, nothing will pass."
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem also strongly condemned the framework agreement signed in Washington between Israel and Lebanon, describing it as a "humiliating and disgraceful" deal that, he claimed, amounts to a surrender of Lebanon's sovereignty.
"Where is the government's responsibility for Lebanese sovereignty and its commitment to the ceasefire?" Qassem demanded, adding that the agreement "has no right to exist."