Some 500 meters away from occupied Palestine, dozens of Lebanese journalists and activists massed in support of Lebanon’s maritime wealth, delivering a clear message to the enemy and the friend that the people of this country stand firm alongside its Resistance and Army against all forms of Israeli threats.
Lebanese journalists and activists gathered in Naqoura on Friday in an activity dubbed ‘Our Wealth, a Red Line’, called for by the National Media Gathering.
Journalists and activists attending the event were raising Lebanese flags as well as banners reading “fight till the end of the line”, 
“our energy, our strength” and “beyond Karish”.
Speakers stressed the legitimacy of defending Lebanon’s right to invest in its maritime wealth, echoing remarks of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, who in his latest speech (on July 13) threatened that no side in the Mediterranean will extract oil or gas if Lebanon is prevented to do so.
“We stick to our right in defending our land and waters against Israeli enemy,” journalist Wassef Awada addressed the gathering.
Mesbah Al-Ali, representative of Lebanese Information Minister praised the event as “an initiative that represents the responsibility shouldered by Lebanese journalists in contributing to the battle against the Israeli enemy.”
“The Lebanese sovereignty is preserved thanks to the Resistance and Army,” Al-Ali said, underlining importance of the golden formula ‘Resistance-Army-People’.
He also affirmed that the coming battle to preserve Lebanon maritime wealth “is no less important from the battle to liberate the land.”
Head of Lebanon’s Syndicate of Press Editors Joseph Kossaifi stressed that Lebanon won’t abandon its wealth at any price, since it’s the way out of the current economic crises threatening the country.
For his part, Abdel Hadi Mahfouz, the National Media Council Head warned that Lebanon’s maritime wealth is at risk, urging the Lebanese powers to hold an open dialogue in order to address the recent crises.
An Israeli Dvora-class patrol boat was spotted filming the event in the closest Lebanese point to the occupied Palestinian territory.
Economist Ziad Nasreddine, on his turn, pointed to attempts to deprive Lebanon from investing in its maritime wealth, slamming the US for being biased during the indirect talks to demarcate the maritime borders between Lebanon and the Israeli occupation regime.
He noted that some studies made by international drilling companies found out that Lebanon and Syria have the greatest amount of oil and gas in the Mediterranean, calling to save the Lebanese wealth which worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The National Media Gathering’s lawyer Cinderella Merhej then, announced that the group has sent a message to the United Nations, calling on the international body to guarantee Lebanon’s right to invest in its maritime wealth.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
