Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Future bloc urges action in response to Israel’s announcement of more settlement building

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In a statement issued following its weekly meeting on Tuesday, the Future bloc condemned Israel’s announcement that settlement building will continue, saying it challenges the credibility of the international organizations, the EU and the US.

This comes following the Jewish State’s decision to build 1,600 settlements and re-open the Hurva synagogue just yards away from the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

The Future bloc called on the cabinet to urge the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, the EU and the Arab League to take action against the “Israeli attack” and impose penalty if Israel does not announce the end of settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The bloc said the Palestinian Authority should take necessary procedures to stop Israel and support inter-Palestinian unity, highlighting that Palestinians should strenghten rapprochement and dialogue.

Lebanese too should support Palestinians in light of the Israeli threat, added the statement.

This comes as thousands of people, mostly students, took to the streets across Gaza to protest the opening of the synagogue near the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and recent Israeli settlement expansions in East Jerusalem.

The Future Bloc called on all religious shrines to assign Friday a day of speeches to address the situation in Gaza. It also called for suspending university and school classes next Monday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in protest of Israel’s policies. “Our Bloc MPs will submit a letter of protest to the UN headquarters in Beirut as well as to the UN Security Council,” said the statement.

It voiced hope the cabinet would follow up on mechanisms to improve conditions of Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon.

The Future bloc touched on the campaign against the Internal Security Forces and the cabinet for a supposed security agreement between the US and the ISF following a US request for information on Lebanon’s communications grid, saying the campaign aims to undermine the ISF and government’s credibility.

The bloc said that former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s cabinet approved of a grant, which is part of the US cabinet donation as announced during the Paris III conference in 2007, to train the ISF by providing the institution with vehicles and equipment.

The cabinet and the ISF did not violate the constitution or break the law as they have the power to accept grants and sponsor training programs for security apparatuses, added the statement.

Future bloc commended the role of the ISF in discovering terrorist, crime and Israeli espionage networks.

The statement touched on the March 14 alliance’s meeting at the Bristol Hotel on Sunday, saying the alliance’s final statement expresses the Lebanese people’s desire to strengthen coexistence based on sovereignty, freedom, independence and Arab membership.

According to the Future bloc, the statement constitutes a political basis for a national dialogue on the defense strategy to confront Israel and face regional challenges.

The bloc reiterated that it is committed to holding the municipal elections on time, either by adopting the cabinet’s draft law in its entirety or by passing some of the amendments that are implementable within constitutional deadlines.

-NOW Lebanon