Middle East War: Israel and Lebanon agree with Washington to start direct negotiations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns that the diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take more than just one day and will require time.

An opening in the diplomatic arena. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Tuesday, April 14 to continue negotiations towards a lasting peace following productive discussions in Washington between representatives from both countries, the first of their kind since 1993. “All parties have agreed to start direct negotiations on a mutually agreed date and location,” explained the U.S. State Department in a statement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who brought together Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, had previously hailed an “historic opportunity” for Lebanon and Israel to make peace.

The Tuesday meeting lasted just over two hours. “We discovered today that we are on the same page,” stated the Israeli ambassador to journalists. “We are both united in our desire to free Lebanon from the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah,” he added. His Lebanese counterpart described this “preparatory meeting” as “constructive” and “called for a ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah. The latter, notably absent from the meeting, labeled these discussions as a “surrender” and claimed responsibility for rocket firing at thirteen Israeli border locations at the start.

While the Iranian front has seen a lull since the ceasefire on April 8, Lebanon is not covered by the truce according to Israel, which continues to strike Hezbollah and has not withdrawn from the southern part of the country. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed hope that the negotiations in Washington mark “the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people.” However, “stability will not be restored in the South (of Lebanon) if Israel continues to occupy territories there,” he added.

The discussions on Tuesday aim to “define a framework upon which a lasting peace can be built,” Marco Rubio envisioned. “This goes beyond just one day, it will take time.” “It is time for Israel and Lebanon to work together,” urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posed two conditions: the disarmament of Hezbollah and the pursuit of a “real peace agreement”, as the two countries are technically still in a state of war for decades.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. criticized France’s role in Lebanon on Tuesday, stating that Paris has no business meddling in negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. Speaking after direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, Yechiel Leiter stated: “We certainly do not want to see the French interfere in these negotiations.”

“We would like to keep the French as far away as possible from pretty much everything, but especially when it comes to peace negotiations,” continued the Israeli representative, using undiplomatic language. He was asked by a journalist if the Israeli government had made a “concerted effort” to keep France out of these negotiations.

“They are not necessary. They have no positive influence, especially not in Lebanon,” he added. France joined seventeen countries on Tuesday to call on Lebanon and Israel to “seize the opportunity” presented by these direct peace talks mediated by the U.S. However, Paris, with strong historical ties to Lebanon, also pushed to include the Lebanese front in the ceasefire concluded by the U.S. with Iran, much to the dismay of Israel.

Emmanuel Macron convened a new defense council meeting on Wednesday at 11 a.m. dedicated to the situation in the Middle East.