Lebanese Parliament Speaker Rejects Israel-Lebanon Agreement, Warns of Internal Division

Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, strongly criticized the recently signed framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, describing it as far worse than the 1983 May 17 Agreement. In an interview with the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Berri called the new deal "ten times worse" but still preferable to the current agreement. He warned against street protests or reactions that could plunge Lebanon into chaos and civil strife, which he claimed would primarily benefit Israel.

Berri emphasized that the greatest danger of the agreement lies not only in its political content but also in the potential for it to spark internal divisions and conflicts among Lebanese factions. He insisted that any response to the agreement must remain within constitutional, political, and national frameworks. Although he stated he would not boycott government meetings discussing the agreement, Berri pledged to oppose it vigorously, saying, "This agreement will not pass or be implemented as it stands."

He further asserted that Lebanon's only practical chance to secure its rights and force a full Israeli withdrawal lies in the ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations. Sources within Lebanon's Shia political groups Hezbollah and Amal told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Berri was surprised by the agreement's content and had not been briefed beforehand. According to these sources, Berri first learned of the deal through media reports and described it as inciting division. They urged the signatories to avoid the agreement's consequences and correct what they called a "serious mistake," alleging that one of Israel's aims was to destabilize the U.S.-Iran agreement by igniting tensions in Lebanon.