“The resistance is a red line ... it is not possible at all to give up on the resistance or exclude it from the policy statement,” Berri told visitors over the weekend.

“If it wasn’t for the resistance, the south would not have been liberated,” he said.

The speaker said parties opposing the resistance clause should “live for a few days in the south,” particularly in areas near the border with the Zionist regime, “and then give their opinion, which would be more pragmatic and objective.”

“There is no need to discuss removing the resistance clause because its letters and meanings and the sacrifices of the martyrs are more precious than all the gold of this world and they are worth the world,” he said.

The speaker was alluding to the recent row between some authorities and Hezbollah over the latter’s “Army, people, resistance” tripartite formula.

They blamed Hezbollah’s support for the resistance formula for the delay in approving the Cabinet’s policy statement.

However Hezbollah urged the authorities to have “specialized care” over importance of resistance within Lebanon authority and integrity.

NJF/NJF