Berri rejects Israeli war fears, calls for ‘7 to 10 days’ of dialogue

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has dismissed the possibility of a full-scale Israeli war on Lebanon and stressed the urgency of “stopping the genocidal war Israel is waging against the Palestinian people.”

In an interview with the Milan-based newspaper Avvenire, which has ties to the Roman Catholic Church, Berri stated that “Lebanon does not need new agreements to maintain calm and stability in the southern border region.” He pointed out that “there is a UN Security Council resolution, number 1701, and Lebanon is adhering to all its provisions.”

“The international community must put pressure on Israel to stop violating this resolution,” Berri said.

To address the crisis of the presidential vacuum, Berri proposed: “Give me 10 days of dialogue between all the parliamentary blocs and we will solve this problem.”

“The aim of the dialogue between the blocs would be to agree on one, two, three or four candidates within seven to 10 days, so that we can meet in parliament and conclude the elections with a parliamentary, constitutional and national quorum,” Berri added.