Lebanese government offering free concessions to Israeli enemy, lawmaker warns

A Lebanese lawmaker has censured the Beirut government over its weak position in the face of ongoing Israeli aggression and rejected any concessions to the regime, saying that Israel is well aware of the fact that the Lebanese nation can defend its soil through unity.

“The escalating conflict in Lebanon has several causes, the first of which is the expansionist policies of the Zionist regime, as it wants to impose its conditions on our country,” said Raed Berro, a member of Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc — the political wing of Hezbollah in the Lebanese parliament.

Berro said the second reason is the collusion of some regional and international powers with Israel in order to eliminate Hezbollah.

He added, “Some parties want to eliminate Hezbollah, some seek to weaken the resistance group, and some seek revenge. The parties that are trying to weaken Hezbollah inside Lebanon want to expand their domestic influence and secure a place in the country’s political landscape.”

Another factor exacerbating the situation in Lebanon is that the Israelis know the cost of war is prohibitive, and that they can extract many concessions at the negotiating table, the Lebanese lawmaker said, adding that for this reason, pressures on Lebanon at political arenas are intensifying.

“If we were weak and the Lebanese nation did not believe in resilience and did not have the willpower to fight the enemy, the Zionists would not be talking about the costs of war with Lebanon in their internal security and military circles,” Berro said.

Israel escalates airstrikes across Lebanon as Paris talks to disarm Hezbollah convene

Israeli warplanes have launched airstrikes on several locations across southern and eastern Lebanon.

He further said the Lebanese government is, therefore, required in light of the current situation to improve its performance in dealing with these factors – factors that intersect with the expansionist objectives of the Israeli regime, and the interests of international and regional parties, as well as some parties inside Lebanon.

He underlined that the Lebanese government must discredit the Israeli regime in all international forums, and persuade regional parties and its friends that any war against Lebanon would have serious repercussions.

“The Lebanese government is giving concessions to losers. The logic of negotiations anywhere in the world is that countries follow a clear path, offer and obtain concessions, and proceed in accordance with common sense,” Berro said.

He added, “Unfortunately, this principle is not observed in Lebanon. The Lebanese government is giving wanton concessions to an enemy, which wants to impose its demands on our country by force.”

The Lebanese legislator noted that any concessions by the Lebanese government, which are based on a position of weakness, lack of self-confidence, and failure to rely on national capabilities, is absurd and inconsistent with Lebanon’s interests.

“We possess many sources of strength. If we unify our discourse, we can utilize these strengths in an appropriate manner,” Berro stated.

On December 18, French, Saudi Arabian, and American representatives convened in Paris with the leader of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to discuss and finalize a roadmap aimed at establishing a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah.

The meeting came as part of continued diplomatic efforts aimed at pressuring Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, even though the group remains the sole armed force capable of countering Israeli advances in southern Lebanon.

Ever since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of more than 340 Lebanese citizens. More than 3,700 Lebanese nationals were killed by Israel during the summer 2006 war.

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