Lebanon has finally made a decision without Hezbollah’s approval, which could be the first step towards its sovereignty.
“We affirm today that the survival of this Lebanon, gathered entirely around you, is a condition for peace, hope, and reconciliation among all the children of Abraham.” With these words to Pope Leo XIV during the pontiff’s visit to Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun signaled a possible willingness to bring his country into the Abraham Accords.
Shortly after the pope departed Beirut, Aoun appointed veteran diplomat Simon Karam to become the civilian head of Lebanon’s delegation to the US-chaired ceasefire monitoring committee in Naqoura, a decision that prompted Israel to appoint a civilian representative of its own.
U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus has been working for months to push Lebanon and Israel to appoint civilians to the mechanism, whose meetings she regularly attends. Until this week, Lebanon had pushed back against her initiative, stressing that it needed to follow a track of military-level talks with Israel. It now seems that Washington’s diplomatic pressure and Israel’s reported threats of renewing its war on Hezbollah have played a role in what many perceive as a strategic shift in Lebanon’s position.
Ortagus’s diplomatic accomplishment is not just limited to Lebanon and Israel holding their first direct civilian-led talks in decades. Wednesday’s historic development could serve as a prelude to wider talks on Lebanon joining the Abraham Accords, and not just normalization between Beirut and Jerusalem.
While a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel tackles security and conflict, the Abraham Accords offers Lebanon—suffering from one of the worst economic collapses in modern history—the potential of recovery and the windfalls of investment.
This potential was brought up by Israel’s statement welcoming Lebanon’s move on Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterized Israel and Lebanon’s appointment of civilian representatives as “an initial attempt to create a basis for a relationship and economic co-operation between Israel and Lebanon.”
A spokesperson for Netanyahu called the direct meeting a "historic development" with "unique opportunities to create peace" between Lebanon and Israel. "This is the first step to paving a path with Lebanon and it's clear the Lebanese recognized the economic challenges they are facing," she said.
The Lebanese choice of its representative is also telling. Ambassador Karam has long been recognized for his commitment to Lebanon’s sovereignty, resisting Syrian dominance until its withdrawal in 2005 and countering Iran’s current influence through Hezbollah.
Karam is also known for his diplomatic, yet tough, approach. The Lebanese president’s pick signals a serious approach towards these direct talks – and a realization that they could offer great opportunities for Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s reaction to this historic development has so far been predictably lame – a few motorcyclists waving Hezbollah flags and attempting to block traffic in Beirut. Why? Because that is all Hezbollah has left. The group had lost more than its military capabilities. It has lost all its tools to pressure Lebanon, the region, or the international community.
Lebanon has finally made a decision without Hezbollah’s approval, which could be the first step towards its sovereignty. All of this unfolded after the pope visited Lebanon with a message of peace and dialogue. Joining the Abraham Accords should be a Lebanese demand, simply because the country would benefit most from it. Lebanon deserves it.
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