February 17, 2010 - Daily Star - Hizbullah urges France to 'rein in Israeli aggression'

BEIRUT: Hizbullah on Tuesday urged France to “rein in Israeli aggressiveness” amid heightened concern in Beirut over recent Israeli threats against Lebanon and Syria.

“We ask that France take a firm stand and work with the international community to rein in Israeli aggressiveness,” a press release said.

“Israeli policies are behind all regional tensions and Lebanon maintains its right to armed defense against any possible Israeli attacks,” the party said.

The statement came after a Hizbullah MPs and international relations official Ammar Moussawi met for with Gerard Larcher, the visiting president of the French Senate, or upper house of Parliament.

Larcher said on Monday night during a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Saad Hariri that Lebanon and France would stand together in the UN Security Council. He also conveyed his trust in future cooperation and positive dialogue between both countries.

For his part, Hariri praised France’s participation in the United Interim Force in Lebanon, adding that he looked forward for France’s help in putting an end to Israeli threats.

“Our work in the UN Security Council where Lebanon was elected as a non-permanent member for two years will be toward that goal and toward achieving stability in the region,” Hariri said.

The premier also thanked France’s support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating former Premier Rafik Hariri’s assassination in 2005 and stressed Lebanese-French economic cooperation and the implementation of Paris III conference reforms.

“Lebanon will continue to struggle to implement social and economic reform given a national unity cabinet committed to the country’s prosperity and stability,” Hariri said.

“The period from March 17-21 will be an important phase when medium- and small-sized French firms will meet while Lebanon managed last year to achieve economic growth despite all difficulties, a growth we would like to be accompanied with economic reforms,” Larcher told reporters at Hariri’s residence.

Earlier, Hariri described Israeli threats and military activity as “escalating” and “really dangerous” in an interview with the BBC.

Similarly, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri asked on Monday Larcher for his country take a “firm stand” to stop Israel from attacking Lebanon.

Israeli officials have warned repeatedly that all of Lebanon and the Lebanese government will be targeted by Israel in the event of any attack by Hizbullah. Israel has been locked in a similar war of words with Syrian leaders as well.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has also said Damascus would back “the government and people of Lebanon against any possible Israeli aggression launched on Lebanon.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since sought to ease tensions, claiming that his country wants peace with all its neighbors.

But earlier this month, Netanyahu accused Beirut of allowing Hizbullah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon in “blatant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Hizbullah’s statement coincided Tuesday with the annual commemoration of the murder of the party’s military commander Imad Mughniyeh on February 12, 2008 in Damascus – a killing Hizbullah blamed on Israel. The party also promised to avenge his death. – AFP, with The Daily Star