We Have No Alternative, We Must Negotiate with Israel: Lebanese President

The President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, has stated that it is necessary to start negotiations with Israel, emphasizing that there is no alternative for his country. “Negotiations take place not between friends and allies, but among enemies. However, the language of negotiations is better than that of war,” he said.

Aoun pointed out that politics has three tools: diplomacy, economy, and war. He stressed that when war fails, negotiations become the only way out. “Every war ends with negotiations. The language of war only brings destruction,” he added.

Earlier, U.S. Special Representative Tom Barak described Lebanon as a failed state, noting that it is the only country in the region that refuses to support the changes taking place in the Middle East. “Lebanon is ‘Hezbollah’,” he said, adding that Israeli attacks towards Southern Lebanon are related to the refusal of the Shiite group to disarm.

Barak also stated that the Lebanese themselves must decide their future. “America is not going to get involved in a situation where a foreign terrorist organization and a failed state dictate the pace and demand more resources, funds, and assistance,” he noted.