Hariri: We Won’t Split Beirut,
No Compromise on International Tribunal
Prime Minister Saad Hariri was adamant that Beirut should not be divided, adding that that national unity is the most effective weapon to confront Israeli threats.
Hariri called for massive turnout in the Feb. 14 rally to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The rally “should renew Lebanese trust in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” Hariri told delegates representing Beirut families at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center (BIEL).
“Let’s offer the world a national Lebanese panorama. Let us tell the world there will be no compromises on the STL,” he said.
“What we have already achieved on the path toward justice and truth is worthy of continuing the struggle for,” Hariri added.
Turning to Israel, Hariri said that national unity was the “most powerful weapon in our hands to face up to Israeli threats.”
“There is a stream of Israeli threats facing Lebanon today and those threats should not be handled as mere media messages,” Hariri pointed.
“Those threats are the equivalent of daily violations to Resolution 1701 and a clear announcement of Israeli intentions toward Lebanon,” he added.
Hariri stressed that Israel was betting on instigating splits among the Lebanese.
“Losing national unity would lead to a loss of Lebanon’s peace and stability,” he said.
The premier said Lebanon won’t take chances with its stability and national unity. “Lebanon refuses to be an easy target.”
On Beirut, Hariri said his father was convinced in the “role, the message and the exceptional status Beirut held.”
Beirut is a “symbol of unity, culture and coexistence.”
“We won’t divide Beirut,” he warned. “Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, and there is no room for divisions or segregation in the capital,” in reference to suggestions by several Lebanese officials to divide Beirut into three electoral constituencies during municipal elections planned for June.
