Hariri wants stronger ties with Syria

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is “much more explosive” than the Iranian nuclear crisis, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said in an interview published yesterday.

The Middle East conflict “is much more explosive, brimming over with ‘uranium and extremism’, than any other regional issue,” he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, without elaborating.

Hariri, who is expected for a two-day visit in Madrid today, said Lebanon was in favor of a “Middle East without nuclear weapons” which he said “includes Israel” and not only Iran. As Hariri prepares to make his second visit to Syria since taking office in November, he also said closer ties with Damascus were key to counter an “Israeli threat”.

“Stronger ties with Syria mean there is a firmer position toward Israel,” Hariri said.

He also accused the media of under-reporting Israeli “atrocities” toward the Palestinians. While pedophile priests in the Roman Catholic Church were given “extensive media coverage” amid “attacks against the Vatican”, “atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians” go practically unreported, said Hariri, who is a Muslim. For Israel “war is always an option”, he added.

Source: Gulf Times.
Link: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=353846&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17.