Berri to Arabs: Support Resistance, Boycott "Israel"

1-1-2009

Upon the request of Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the Arab Parliamentarian Council held on Thursday an urgent meeting in Tyre (South Lebanon) in solidarity with Gaza and to condemn the "Israeli" deadly offensive that entered its sixth day amid suspicious Arab and international silence.

Berri addressed the Arab parliamentarians at the opening session, calling upon all Arabs to support the Resistance in Palestine and Lebanon and to break off relations with the Zionist entity in order to strengthen the will of the Arab nation. "With their steadfastness, the Palestinian people are capable of victory," Berri affirmed.

Berri stressed that the war on Gaza was pre-planned just like the July 2006 war against Lebanon. He emphasized that its objectives exceed "Israeli" elections. "It seeks to transform the Palestinian dream of establishing the Palestinian State into a deadly nightmare and to wipe out the Resistance choice in the region," he said, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

The Lebanese Speaker noted that there was dire need for holding an urgent Arab summit and an Islamic summit and a need in committing "Israel" to end its aggression. Berri noted that the war was not limited to Gaza, warning that it may reach Lebanon and Syria in case it expanded.

Meanwhile, Berri called on Palestinian brothers to unite in order to firmly face the "Israeli" aggression against their country. "Take unity in Lebanon as a model," Berri said warning Palestinians against shifting the conflict into an internal one.

For his part, Deputy Iraqi Speaker Sheikh Khaled Attieh called for strengthening Arab solidarity and cooperation to support the Palestinian right in a secure country. He pointed to the urgent need to unify the Arab and Palestinian stance to give the Gazans their rights and end "the savage attack that targeted the Palestinians."

The Arab Parliamentarians then held a closed session to discuss the Gaza situation. They are set to issue recommendations regarding the Arab handling of the crisis at the end of the day.