Lebanon stresses rejection to settling Palestinians in its territories
Lebanese President Emil lahoud on Thursday received the Speaker of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Berri and discussions between them dealt with the Lebanese position which rejects settling the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
A statement released by the meeting said that views were identical on rejecting any solution for the Arab- Israeli conflict at the expense of Lebanon's national rights, especially that does not serve the question of a just and lasting peace, rather leads to creating a new problem that exceeds with its dangers and dimensions the situation standing today.
The Lebanese president was told by Berri that the Lebanese parliament is pleased over the position President Lahoud declared on Sunday concerning settling the Palestinians in Lebanon.
Discussions between Lahoud and Berri also dealt with the situation in south lebanon from all its sides and aspects especially developmental and economic aspects.
Meantime, the Lebanese foreign minister Mahmoud Hammoud continued his contacts in order to explain Lebanon's official position concerning the question of settling the Palestinians on their lands in light of the recent Israeli proposals in exchanging between giving the Palestinians part of Eastern Jerusalem for giving up their right to return back to their lands. In a statement he made on Thursday Hammoud said that number of supporters to this Lebanese position to this effect is so far 30 Arab, Western and African states.
Meantime, the resigned Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak has described the condition on the Lebanese borders as very sensitive. Barak's statement was made during his meeting with the German defense minister Rudolf Shaping. Barak's saying came following a series of Israeli threats against Syria and Lebanon and in attempt to divert the attention from the israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people and under the escalated Palestinian Intifada.
Barak's threats were also preceded by an implicit threats by the chairman of the Israeli intelligence Amos malka on Thursday in a conference on geo-strategic matters in Hertzilia near Tel Aviv of the possibility of deteriorated conditions on the northern borders of Israel.