Lebanese lawmakers start sit-in against Israeli blockade
Xinhua | 3 Sept 2006
Lebanese lawmakers, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, launched an open-ended sit-in in parliament on Saturday protesting an Israel-imposed blockade on Lebanon.
“The continuation of the siege will suspend the fulfillment of (UN Security Council) Resolution 1701 and lead to its suffocation and violation. It will also have negative repercussions on the rebuilding process,” Berri said.
During a meeting ahead of the sit-in at the parliament building in Beirut, Berri proposed a series of suggestions to press Israel to lift its blockade.
Berri said he had sent telegrams to heads of some international parliamentary unions, urging them to hold similar sit-ins in solidarity with Lebanon.
He also called on the international community to start sending airplanes and ships to Lebanon in defiance of the Israeli air, maritime and land blockade on Lebanon.
The speaker made the call on Thursday, inviting 128 lawmakers from all sides to hold a sit-in in parliament until Israel lifts its seven-week-old air and sea blockade of the country.
Israel imposed blockade and launched massive military offensive against Lebanon on July 12 after Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in cross- border attacks.
Although the 34-day-long fighting between the two sides came to a cease-fire on Aug. 14 thanks to the UN Resolution 1701, Israel has vowed to keep its blockade until a UN peacekeeping force takes control of south Lebanon to guarantee the safety of the Jewish state. [Yeah right, that’ll achieve it — not …]
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