Hezbollah dismisses Annapolis talks as “media show”

Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group said on Sunday a U.S.-hosted Middle East peace conference this week was only a “media show” in support of Israel.The United States aims to relaunch peace talks on Palestinian statehood at Tuesday’s conference in Annapolis, Maryland, that will bring together Arabs and Israelis.

Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah, backed by Israel’s sworn enemies Syria and Iran, is one of several Arab militant groups which do not recognize Israel. Its guerrillas fought a 34-day war against Israel last year.

“He who looks at the preparations for the Annapolis conference finds that it has no gains for the Palestinians. It is a media-political show in favor of Israel,” Hezbollah deputy chief Shiekh Naim Kassem told a rally in Beirut.

He said the conference aimed at propping up some Palestinian leaders, a clear reference to President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Arab League agreed on Friday to attend the meeting in the hope of promoting the creation of a Palestinian state and pushing for the return of occupied Syrian land.