Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri on Thursday described as racist Israel's controversial amendment to the citizenship bill, which would require non-Jews seeking citizenship to pledge allegiance to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state". According to the AP, Hariri added that the law would make ongoing peace talks with the Palestinians unbearable.
He compared the law to practices in apartheid-era South Africa and warned it would encourage extremism.
Hariri arrived in Cyprus Thursday for talks with President Dimitris Christofias.
"Today the region stands at a critical juncture, either it heads towards peace or it will face a regional war. In these difficult times, the region needs real statesmen. Statesmen who have the capability of learning from the past and providing a better future for all the people of the Middle East," Hariri added.
