Berri: My Position Has Not Changed... I Am Not Optimistic
7/27/2026 9:36:33 AM
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reaffirmed the strength of his relationship with President Joseph Aoun and stressed the importance of securing regional and international guarantees involving Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Iran to preserve stability in Lebanon.
At the same time, Berri stressed that he had not abandoned his principles, saying: “The only acceptable path, and what we wanted yesterday, today, and tomorrow, is to solidify the ceasefire and ensure the complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories.” He emphasized that he remains committed to rejecting any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, as well as to the position he previously expressed regarding the framework agreement, which he had described as “ten times worse than the May 17 Agreement.”
Assessing the current political process led by Aoun, Berri reiterated that he is not optimistic about the possibility of achieving positive results, saying that “what is happening in the trial areas confirms our concerns.” He explained that any statements he made that were interpreted as reflecting flexibility or positivity toward the ongoing negotiations were strictly linked to the priority of achieving the main objective he has demanded from the outset: consolidating the ceasefire, securing a full Israeli withdrawal, and enabling residents to return to their villages and homes. Beyond that, he said, there has been no change in his principled stance rejecting the use of this phase as a gateway to direct political negotiations with Israel or as a process that bypasses the Lebanese constants he has repeatedly affirmed.
At the same time, Berri stressed that he had not abandoned his principles, saying: “The only acceptable path, and what we wanted yesterday, today, and tomorrow, is to solidify the ceasefire and ensure the complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories.” He emphasized that he remains committed to rejecting any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, as well as to the position he previously expressed regarding the framework agreement, which he had described as “ten times worse than the May 17 Agreement.”
Assessing the current political process led by Aoun, Berri reiterated that he is not optimistic about the possibility of achieving positive results, saying that “what is happening in the trial areas confirms our concerns.” He explained that any statements he made that were interpreted as reflecting flexibility or positivity toward the ongoing negotiations were strictly linked to the priority of achieving the main objective he has demanded from the outset: consolidating the ceasefire, securing a full Israeli withdrawal, and enabling residents to return to their villages and homes. Beyond that, he said, there has been no change in his principled stance rejecting the use of this phase as a gateway to direct political negotiations with Israel or as a process that bypasses the Lebanese constants he has repeatedly affirmed.