Washington Welcomes Lebanese Presidency's Initiative for Direct Negotiations with Israel to End War

The United States of America has officially expressed its support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's initiative, aimed at opening direct negotiation channels with Israel to halt the military operations ongoing for nearly three weeks. The US Ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, affirmed that Washington appreciates the courage of the Lebanese presidency in deciding to sit at the negotiating table, considering this step essential to end the armed conflict that has gripped the country since early March.

Ambassador Issa's statements came after a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, where Issa stressed that political solutions require mutual concessions, or what he described as 'give and take'. He indicated that Israel's continued military strikes place the Lebanese state before a crucial decision regarding its stance on meeting with the Israeli side under fire, emphasizing that sustainable peace cannot be achieved without direct contributions and official meetings.

The initiative proposed by President Aoun on March 9 is based on four main axes, starting with establishing a comprehensive and immediate ceasefire on all fronts. The initiative also includes a controversial clause providing for logistical support to the Lebanese army to enable it to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its caches and depots, in preparation for direct negotiations under international auspices to ensure border stability between the two sides.

In the diplomatic context, President Aoun reiterated his call for de-escalation during his meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in Beirut, stressing that negotiation is the only way to protect Lebanon from total destruction. For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron entered the crisis, announcing Paris's readiness to host these talks and facilitate their procedures, provided Lebanon receives the 'green light' from the Israeli side to begin the political process.

Despite French openness to mediation, Macron drew a red line regarding the issue of official recognition of Israel, ruling out any proposals leading to this path for the time being. This French position comes in response to American media reports that spoke of a draft proposal pushing for full normalization of relations between Beirut and Tel Aviv as part of a comprehensive ceasefire deal.

On the other hand, Israeli positions remain rigid, as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar previously affirmed that his government has no intention of conducting any direct negotiations with the Lebanese state at present. Observers believe that the gap remains wide between Lebanese aspirations for a political solution and the field objectives that Israel seeks to achieve before sitting at any hypothetical negotiating table.

Lebanon is experiencing a state of anticipation amid the escalating aggression that erupted following regional tensions, including confrontations between Israel and Iran. With the relatively diminished French role in the face of the strong rise of American mediation, the fate of Aoun's initiative remains dependent on Washington's ability to pressure Tel Aviv to accept the principle of direct negotiation with the Lebanese government and its Prime Minister, Najib Mikati.

Things cannot be resolved without give and take, and Lebanon must decide whether it can meet with the Israeli side while military operations continue.