Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Nabih Berri: A Usurper of Authority and an Iranian Messenger — Any Agreement He Reaches with Hochstein is UnconstitutionalNovember 19, 2024
Text & Video: Nabih Berri: A Usurper of Authority and an Iranian Messenger — Any Agreement He Reaches with Hochstein is Unconstitutional Elias Bejjani/November 19, 2024
The Lebanese Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, does not represent Lebanon or its people in his ongoing negotiations with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein. Constitutionally, only the Lebanese President, in coordination with the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, is authorized to negotiate foreign agreements. The role of the Speaker and Parliament is strictly legislative, confined to debating and approving or rejecting treaties submitted to Parliament—not forging them. Consequently, any agreement reached by Berri with Hochstein is both unconstitutional and illegitimate, rendering it non-binding on Lebanon and its people.
Berri’s true allegiance lies not with Lebanon but with Iran and Hezbollah. He serves as a puppet of the Iranian regime, acting as a spokesperson and intermediary for its armed proxy, Hezbollah. His role in these negotiations is, therefore, nothing but a facade, devoid of legitimacy or legal foundation.
Today, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein visited Lebanon and met with both Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati to discuss a draft agreement aimed at establishing a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. According to media reports, the draft consists of 13 key provisions, including the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, the full disarmament of Hezbollah, and the transfer of its arsenal to the Lebanese Army. It also reportedly entails commitments from Syria and Russia to halt the flow of weapons to Hezbollah and the establishment of an international monitoring committee comprising France, Britain, and Germany to oversee the ceasefire.
Unsurprisingly, Iran has outright rejected this initiative. Iranian official Ali Larijani reportedly conveyed Tehran’s disapproval to both Berri and Mikati during his recent visit to Lebanon, further proving that these figures are mere tools of Iranian hegemony, incapable of making sovereign decisions on behalf of Lebanon.
To summarize, Nabih Berri is an illegitimate authority figure who has usurped powers far beyond his constitutional mandate. He is a warlord, the leader of the corrupt Amal militia, and a primary disruptor of Lebanon’s parliamentary functions. Under his leadership, Parliament has been reduced to a rubber stamp for Hezbollah’s and Iran’s agendas.
The current Parliament, elected through a tailored electoral law designed by Hezbollah to cement its dominance, is politically impotent and devoid of national integrity. It consists of deputies who owe their seats to a rigged electoral process orchestrated by Iran’s proxies, resulting in a sham Parliament. Their sole role is to serve as a chorus for Hezbollah’s so-called “resistance” narrative, while Lebanon’s sovereignty and constitution are trampled underfoot.
The Lebanese people must categorically reject any agreements made by illegitimate actors like Berri. True sovereignty can only be achieved by restoring constitutional integrity and ending the Iranian occupation, symbolized by its armed proxy, Hezbollah.
