Lebanese Cleric Rejects Direct Talks with Israel, Warns Against Disarmament

Vice President of Lebanon’s Supreme Islamic Shia Council Sheikh Ali Khatib has categorically rejected direct negotiations between Beirut and Israel, saying such talks would serve no meaningful purpose and would not benefit the Arab world. He warned that surrendering to Israel would amount to moving toward destruction, while describing the regime as an enemy of Palestinian life in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Khatib said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has linked any withdrawal from Gaza and implementation of proposed peace arrangements to the disarmament of Hamas and Hezbollah. He warned that if resistance groups were to surrender their weapons, Palestinian and Lebanese civilians could face further massacres. The cleric also criticized Israeli statements rejecting withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, despite Beirut’s stated intention to pursue negotiations aimed at restoring security and enabling residents of southern Lebanon to return home.

Khatib also cited the historical experience of Palestinians who, he said, faced massacres and atrocities after being forced to surrender their weapons before 1947. Referring to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted after the 2006 Lebanon war, he argued that previous diplomatic arrangements had failed to prevent Israeli aggression. He said Israel had not complied with the resolution and continued military operations, resulting in more than 500 deaths over a 15-month period.