Berri calls for unity, warns against hate speech on Liberation commemoration
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri issued a statement on the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, calling for responsibility to strengthen civil peace, reject sectarianism, and avoid divisive rhetoric.
Berri said that the anniversary of May 25 this year comes as land, people, and national institutions are facing ongoing Israeli aggression that has continued for three years, escalating since February into what he described as a war of extermination and destruction affecting southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut. He warned that Israel continues its campaign of destruction against civilians, infrastructure, and daily life.
He added that the liberation anniversary coincides this year with Eid al-Adha, a moment of unity for the Muslim world, as well as with a religious milestone involving the path to sainthood of Maronite Patriarch Elias al-Hoayek, whom he described as a key figure in Lebanon’s national identity and coexistence during World War I.
Berri stressed that these occasions should serve as an opportunity for national reflection, unity, and cooperation, urging Lebanese to move beyond hate speech and internal division, and to refrain from exploiting suffering and bloodshed. He called for strengthening national solidarity, protecting civil peace, and confronting any attempts to divide or destabilize the country.
He concluded by paying tribute to those who made liberation possible, including fallen fighters and all resistance actors, as well as the Lebanese Army and security forces. He emphasized that unity among Lebanese and support for displaced citizens remain essential, adding: Together we achieved liberation, and together we can rebuild Lebanon.
