“Smile for the camera and the picture will turn out beautiful”… So, did Benjamin Netanyahu sweet-talk Michel Issa from the tip of his tongue?
The Tel Aviv meeting broke the deadlock, with the two American delegations from the “Jerusalem” and “Beirut” desks in attendance. But what did the first and lengthy face-to-face meeting actually achieve? And according to American sources, did the White House deliver a message to the Israeli prime minister calling for de-escalation in Lebanon ahead of the Israeli and American election seasons?
What was officially disclosed came from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said on X that the meeting focused on discussing progress in the US-led talks between Israel and Lebanon. Describing the negotiations as a historic process, he said Hezbollah was the only party obstructing it.
Washington has pulled the Lebanese file out of the drawer. But that does not necessarily mean Netanyahu will comply with the wishes of his American patron on every agreement. History offers plenty of examples — the most distant being Oslo, and the most recent being the Board of Peace in Sharm el-Sheikh, which the Israeli prime minister turned into a war council, while acknowledging the occupation of 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and promising further expansion.
The Lebanese file has moved forward on the basis of American “diplomatic intentions.” Netanyahu, as usual, has maintained the rule of separating negotiations from the battlefield. His army launched one of its fiercest attacks on Ali al-Taher Hill and its surrounding area, with explosions heard across the south.
And while the American red light against attacking the hill remains in place, Lebanon’s broader situation was also present in the host country of the negotiations. Saudi envoy Prince Yazid bin Farhan elevated the issue through meetings he held with the Italian side.
According to information obtained by Al Jadeed, the Saudi effort during the talks focused on supporting the Lebanese position and the ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at moving the negotiating process forward.
In parallel with efforts to advance the negotiating track in Rome, Paris, with significant backing from Saudi Arabia and Jordan, is pushing to hold the preparatory meeting for the conference aimed at supporting the Lebanese Army and security forces, and enabling them to extend state authority across Lebanese territory.
This comes as the military institution faces attacks in the form of systematic Israeli disinformation campaigns targeting its leadership, officers and personnel. The Army Command warned against attempts to target the institution and its leadership, sow doubt within its ranks, and undermine trust between the army and the Lebanese people.
It stressed that these disinformation campaigns would not affect the institution’s cohesion or deter it from carrying out its missions to safeguard Lebanon’s security.
The military institution has drawn the line against fabricated reports. And as efforts to shore up the domestic front continue, positions from Baabda and Ain al-Tineh have converged.
In response to the confirmation that there is no rupture with the presidency, the President praised what was stated in Berri’s speech, particularly his emphasis on the fundamental principles of civil peace, commitment to the army and adherence to the Taif Agreement. He also declared his openness to every option and path that could contribute to achieving these goals, stressing that the priority is to protect Lebanon and its people.
As for the Lebanese priority on which there is no disagreement, the US-Iranian dispute has witnessed its highest level of military escalation in recent hours. The US Treasury Secretary raised the pressure further, putting Tehran before three options: either the Revolutionary Guard turns against itself, the people turn against it, or Iran returns to negotiations.
But US President Donald Trump had a different take: he said he was not trying to force Iran to sit at the negotiating table.
So, who should be believed?