Aoun denies Moawad consoled Israel envoy, says negotiations slow but not over
President Joseph Aoun on Thursday threw his support behind Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad following the complaint that was filed against her by a pro-Hezbollah lawyer.
“On what basis did the press start highlighting the reports against the Lebanese Ambassador in Washington and the infringement on her personal dignity and on the state's foreign policy regarding an event that did not happen?” Aoun wondered, in a meeting with journalism students from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK).
Separately, Aoun said “regional and international developments, as well as the Israeli elections, may have slowed down the pace of negotiations.”
“However, this does not mean that they have stopped, and our objective is Lebanon's best interest,” the president added.
State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem has decided to dismiss the complaint filed by pro-Hezbollah lawyer Hassan Bazzi against Moawad, MTV reported on Thursday.
The lawyer filed the complaint over unconfirmed reports that Moawad had contacted Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter to inquire about the health of his son, who was seriously wounded in a Palestinian car ramming attack in the occupied West Bank. Moawad and Leiter have participated in several rounds of Lebanese-Israeli diplomatic talks since June -- the first between the two sides since 1983.
Lebanon’s boycott law, adopted in 1955, prohibits direct and indirect dealings with Israeli individuals or entities, including commercial, financial, and cultural institutions. It carries prison sentences ranging from several years to harsher penalties under the broader criminal code.
Israel and Lebanon have technically been in a state of war since May 1948, when Lebanon joined surrounding Arab nations in a war against the newly-established Israeli state. Israel has since waged several wars on Lebanon, resulting in around 40,000 deaths and massive material damage.
Source: Naharnet
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