Israel Matzav

Hariri stands his ground - for now

In at least one respect, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri stood his ground in his meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week: Hariri refused to make Lebanon a party to a six-party alliance against Israel.

"During the meeting, Hariri showed adherence to his beliefs, rejecting (Ahmadinejad's) call for making Lebanon a part of an alliance among six peoples in the region," the sources added.

At a mass rally organized Wednesday by Hizbullah in Beirut Southern Suburbs, Ahmadinejad declared that "a resistance front has been formed by the peoples of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and all the region."

"Our world today is at the gateway of major change, whose elements have started to emerge from our region," added Ahmadinejad.

Hariri used Lebanon's complex co-existence formula as his excuse for not joining the alliance.

Premier Saad Hariri informed the members of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc during a meeting on Friday that Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had invited him to visit Tehran, adding that the visit would be coordinated later through the relevant diplomatic channels between the two countries, Mustaqbal Bloc sources have revealed.
The sources quoted Hariri as saying that his talks with Ahmadinejad Thursday were "friendly, positive and frank."

According to the sources, Hariri told Ahmadinejad that the Lebanese coexistence formula does not allow Lebanon to join regional axes and that such steps require consultations among the Lebanese parties.

During a mass rally organized Wednesday by Hizbullah in Beirut Southern Suburbs, Ahmadinejad declared that "a resistance front has been formed by the peoples of Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq and the entire region."

"Our world today is at the gateway of major change, whose elements have started to emerge from our region," added Ahmadinejad.

So how long do you all think Hariri can hold out? I give him 3-6 months.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:20 PM