Nabih Berri’s deafening silence

Since Hezbollah entered the ongoing war, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has remained silent. When journalists asked him for comments on the developments on the first day, he replied: "No comment." It was a single, unique statement that everyone could interpret in their own way.Most political circles and analysts have taken it to mean that he disapproves of Hezbollah's missile launches and of the fact that it has dragged Lebanon into a war that might have been avoided. Monday’s Cabinet meeting — which adopted a decision classifying Hezbollah’s military activity as illegal, with the approval of Amal ministers — further fueled this interpretation. According to sources close to Ain al-Tineh, the headquarters of the parliament speaker, Berri’s silence reflects his desire not to widen the rift between himself and Hezbollah, but...