Israeli, Lebanese envoys hold historic summit in Washington to discuss peace deal |
Israel and Lebanon held a historic summit on Tuesday in Washington, DC, as envoys for the two nations met with the hopes of reaching a peace deal that would end decades of conflict.
The roughly two-hour meeting between Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad marked the highest-level meeting to date between Israeli and Lebanese officials, and the first direct talks between the two neighboring countries in decades. The talks were mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American diplomats.
No date for a follow-up meeting had been set as of Tuesday evening, although Leiter described the talks as having gone as well as they could have done, and said he expected them to pick back up in the coming weeks.
Beirut and Jerusalem have been in a state of war since Israel’s establishment in 1948. More recently, Israel has repeatedly fought terror groups in Lebanon, including an ongoing fight against Hezbollah that began last month, shortly after the start of the Iran war. Amid that conflict, Israel has floated the reestablishment of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, a policy first employed several decades ago as a means of deterring terror attacks.
Tuesday’s summit took place against the backdrop of that conflict. It came as the Lebanese government has distanced itself from Hezbollah and made efforts to disarm the Iran-backed terror group, though Israel is skeptical of its ability to do so.
Hezbollah staunchly opposes the peace talks and responded by bombarding Israel as the summit began, triggering warning sirens across the Galilee. Previously, the Israel Defense Forces had warned that “increased fire from Lebanese territory is possible, likely focused on the northern region.”
Officials have sought to tamp down optimism regarding the talks, given the significant gaps that exist between the two countries. But ahead of the summit, Rubio, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Lebanon’s president and other countries’ top diplomats took a hopeful tone.
“This is a historic opportunity. We understand we’re working against decades of history and the complexities that have led us to this unique moment and the opportunity here,” Rubio said at the State Department as he welcomed the ambassadors of the two countries.
“The hope today is that we can outline a framework upon which a current and lasting peace can be developed,” he added.
Sa’ar, speaking at a press conference, said Israel seeks “to reach peace and normalization with the state of Lebanon,” adding that “Israel and Lebanon don’t have any........