Aoun and Trump see Lebanon Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, coming on board with their plans
Washington DC — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has pushed back against Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s rejection of a US-brokered framework agreement with Israel during a media briefing at the White House, insisting that Berri ultimately supports ending the conflict despite his public criticism.
Berri, leader of the Amal Movement and an ally of Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, opposes the agreement.
Asked about Berri‘s statements that the US-Israel-Lebanon deal amounts to “sedition“ and could spark a “civil war“, President Aoun told reporters on Tuesday that the framework does not require parliamentary approval.
“Actually, the framework doesn‘t require the endorsement of the parliament. It‘s part of our constitution. It‘s a prerogative of the president, and we are committed to it,“ Aoun said.
He, however, described Berri as a man who wants to see the war end, noting that the speaker is from southern Lebanon and has long worked to rebuild the region where the ongoing Israeli ground invasion and massive aerial bombardment has killed over 4,000 people, wounded thousands others and uprooted 1.2 million others.
“He (Berri) actually is supportive of what we are doing, but we need to be careful. His position as a Speaker and as a leader of the Shia community, we have to understand how critical is his position,“ Aoun emphasised.
“I can tell you that Speaker Berri is a man of state. He is supportive of what we are doing, and he is supportive of ending the state of hostility, ending the war once for all,” President Aoun added.
The Lebanese president, a former army commander, visited the White House to meet US President Donald Trump and seek the swift implementation of the trilateral framework. Aoun’s White House visit marked the first by a Lebanese head of state since 2009.
The US-sponsored agreement between Lebanon and Israel was signed on June 26 following rare direct talks between the two Middle Eastern neighbours, who have been technically at war for around 80 years.
The deal seeks to expand Lebanese military control in the south, cut Hezbollah’s military presence, and pave the way for withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.
Beirut is also seeking international aid for reconstruction after large parts of southern Lebanon were devastated by occupying Israeli forces.
US President Trump, who also commented during the briefing, expressed confidence that Berri would eventually back the agreement once progress becomes clear.
“I think when he (Nabih Berri) sees, because I‘ve heard that he‘s a good person, good man, and when he sees the progress made, I‘m sure he‘s going to come on,“ Trump chipped in.
