At General Assembly session, Lebanon accuses Israel of arrogance and provocation

The international community must move from “guiding principles” to ensuring “the appropriate pressure means for implementation” to achieve a Middle East peace, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman told the General Assembly today, accusing Israel of arrogance and provocation.

While Lebanon is committed to Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah in 2006, “Israel maintains its daily violations of Lebanese airspace, territories and waters, violations described as provocative by the Secretary-General; of the United Nations in many of his reports,” he said on the second day of the General Assembly’s annual session.

“Moreover, the Israeli spying networks and the recruitment of agents in order to sow strife and destabilize the country has reached a point which necessitates that the international community take a firm position and thwart these Israeli aggressions, its persistent threats against Lebanon, its people and its infrastructure and make Israel withdraw from Lebanese territories that it still occupies,” he added.

He cited the Shebaa farms area, Kfarshuba and the northern part of the village of Al Ghajar, said Lebanon would spare no effort in compelling Israel to compensate it “for all the losses and damages it caused Lebanon throughout its successive aggressions,” and accused Israel of “arrogant and provocative” positions at the heart of incidents on the Blue Line between the two countries.

Mr. Sleiman said it was impossible to reach a permanent solution for the Middle East without addressing all aspects of the conflict and “unless the international community gathers the necessary determination to move from declaring guiding principles to working to ensure the appropriate pressure means for implementation.”

He underlined the right of return of Palestinian refugees and their descendants after the foundation of Israel in 1948, reiterating that Lebanon will not accept any form of settlement of the refugees on its territories.

Lebanon condemned international terrorism, saying his country cooperates with the international community to combat it and “supports positions calling for exploring means to clearly define it and address its root causes so that it would be clearly distinguished from legitimate resistance to foreign occupation, which is recognized by the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized during a meeting with Mr. Sleiman today that all parties must fully respect the Blue Line, voicing appreciation for his Government’s support for the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.

Mr. Ban also voiced hope that ongoing direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians would result in a comprehensive and regional peace.