Hariri rules out independent Lebanon-Israel peace track

Pro-West Sunni lawmaker Saad Hariri ruled out on Tuesday an independent peace track between Israel and Lebanon, speaking a day after his coalition beat its Hezbollah-led rival in Lebanon's national election."We will follow after the Arab initiative," Hariri, who is poised to become Lebanon's next prime minister, told CNN. "You see, the Arab initiative includes many countries for the peace process, and Lebanon will come as we see fit."

Hariri said the most important factor in the Middle East peace process was what the United States would do.

"The United States has a big role to play, and if it plays it in the right way, if it plays its role like it should play it, then we will have peace in the region...They should pressure both sides to move forward - whether the Palestinians and the Israelis, whether the Syrians and the Israelis - and I'm sure we'll get there," he told the U.S. news network.

Hariri's comments came after Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday that the new government in Lebanon needs to be given a political chance, "but must abide by agreements - first of all, resolution 1701." He was referring to the United Nations resolution that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah.

Some analysts had feared that a Hezbollah victory in the elections would have heightened regional tensions, particularly because of the militant group's estimated 30,000 rockets pointed at Israel from southern Lebanon.

After accepting the election's results Monday, Hezbollah insisted that it would not decommission its weapons.