Is normalization approached in Lebanon? An Israeli report reveals

Haaretz, in the analysis prepared by the Israeli analyst, Tsifi Barail, referred to the statement issued by the office of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that “the continuation of the Israeli aggression requires us to make an additional effort to dialogue with the friends of Lebanon around the world, and their mobilization to support our right to full sovereignty on our land, that the attack on the southern suburb is a failed signal for hidden intentions against Lebanon,” and the assurances of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reported This attack “constitutes a clear violation of the arrangements for stopping hostilities.”

In addition to this, another political threat that occupies a central position in the political discourse in Lebanon, where Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said after his meeting with his French counterpart Jean -Nawil Barrow that Israel is interested in normalization with Lebanon, but “it may be very early, from the Lebanese point of view, to do so now.”

“The two countries have already started discussing several issues such as the demarcation of the land borders, and the release of the Lebanese who were captured in the war, but at the present time it is not a matter of negotiations on normalization, and I hope it will be in the future.”

Cooperation is essential

But the Lebanese government, as well as Hezbollah, realizes that France alone will not be able to dictate its policy without cooperating with the United States, that is, without the American pressure on Israel, and this is not currently, because Lebanon needs, in order to obtain preliminary assistance for reconstruction and development, to loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which are institutions under great American influence.

The newspaper also pointed out that the World Bank has already explained that it is facing difficulty in “assessing the size of the damage”, which would constitute the basis for estimating the assistance that Lebanon needs, as long as the ceasefire is incomplete and final.

And she continued: “The International Monetary Fund carries a heavy bag of reforms that the Lebanese government must implement, such as changing the structure of the banking system, establishing mechanisms to oversee financial transfers and prevent corruption, and extensive legislation that would prevent money laundering, establish transparency, and limit the financing of armed groups,” explaining that an agreement has been signed on all these matters between the Lebanese government and the International Monetary Fund in 2022, but so far only has been applied only Very few corrections.

The newspaper added that it is still very early to assess the ability of the Lebanese government, which has just started its political missions to deal with the demands and conditions that the United States sets before it. (24)