Amidst the international "haystack," Lebanon is searching for someone to fill the vacuum in its south, and if extending UNIFIL proves impossible, any alternative forces are welcome. Under this headline, Lebanon will address the international community tomorrow, with the added value of gathering a UN consensus to pressure Israel into committing to a ceasefire and implementing the framework agreement. To achieve this impossible mission, the Lebanese delegation has an opportunity that recurs only once a year: to arm itself with images of the destruction and bulldozing of villages, to present with documents Israeli criminality at a scale where the number of victims has exceeded thousands between martyrs and wounded, and to compile a file to be deposited with the UN Secretariat as well as in the custody of leaders, heads of state, and mediators concerned with the Lebanese file—foremost among them the US President, who alone holds the key to pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. Although Trump passed by yesterday with a fleeting handshake, greeting some Gulf and Arab leaders while excluding others, and did not greet "Salam," which whetted the appetite for commentary on social media, greeting "Salam" was the grand finale. The Lebanese Prime Minister responded to those who tried to fish in troubled waters by saying, "They didn't catch a single fish." On the second day in New York, the UN platform turned into a "ping-pong table" between Trump's speech yesterday and Pezeshkian's response today. No sooner had he taken the podium than the US delegation left the hall. Pezeshkian defended his country against the accusation of terrorism, denied seeking to achieve Iran's security at the expense of others, and said that Iran needs nuclear energy, not a nuclear bomb. He opened the eyes of the international community to the weapons of mass destruction possessed by Israel while Iran is subject to the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Pointing to double standards, Pezeshkian said that Israel kills while sanctions are imposed on Iran, and affirming commitment to negotiations as a path to a solution, he noted that Iran does not fear war when it is a defensive war. The Iranian president concluded his speech, making the Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the star of the speakers. On the premise that he who does not own has no right to give to he who does not deserve, Damascus consecrated the Golan as Syrian land, in public as well as in private, where Al-Sharaa revealed, in the context of Trump's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, that he "jOKed with him," saying, "Give New Jersey to Israel instead of the Golan."
He reiterated in his speech that no one has the right to cede the Golan or grant it to others. Before the international community, Al-Sharaa provided an account of the steps taken by Syria on its journey toward recovery and revival, restricting arms and unifying the army. He pointed out that the clouds of sanctions have cleared with the repeal of the Caesar Act and the removal of Syria's name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. From the United Nations, Al-Sharaa restored Damascus's compass as a focal point for joint Arab action, proving to the entire world that the security of the Middle East is woven in Syria. While demanding Israel's withdrawal from Syrian territory and a return to the 1974 armistice arrangements, he linked the transition to discussing permanent peace to the success of the security arrangements. Moving to Thursday, the complementary day of the UN showcase, the Palestinian cause was the common denominator among the speakers, with a consensus that the two-state solution is the shortest path to ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Meanwhile, the positive effects of the American-Iranian talks emerged at the level of Araghchi and Witkoff, as the shuttle mediators between the two parties concluded the meeting minutes by stating that they were promising and constructive, and the effect of the three-hour mediation remains on the right track.