President Donald Trump has an opportunity to do something no American president has managed in nearly half a century: end the war between Israel and Lebanon for good.
Last Thursday, the US announced a 10-day cease-fire “to enable peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon”. The State Department statement – reportedly agreed to by both governments – marked a significant diplomatic shift. It included an affirmation that “the two countries are not at war,” a commitment to work toward “full recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” as well as “achieving a permanent agreement that ensures lasting security, stability, and peace.”
As Lebanese, Israeli, and American teams prepare for their first-ever trilateral leaders summit, it is time to reflect on this opportunity and lessons from the past.
The following study discusses the role of Lebanon’s gold reserves in the establishment of a currency board and evaluates four policy options: a true currency board, constrained central bank reform, full dollarization, and a unified managed float. Gold reserves are relevant under all four. The conclusion is consistent across them: no monetary framework, however carefully designed and however well backed, can substitute for the prior political decision on who bears Lebanon’s losses and how the state will finance itself sustainably.
Israel’s escalating campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah is rapidly turning Lebanon into one of the most unstable fronts in the wider US-Israel confrontation with Iran — pushing an already fragile state to the brink. The war is tearing at Lebanon’s sectarian and political fabric, displacing Shiite communities and deepening polarization between Hezbollah and its rivals.
Operation Epic Fury has created a dramatic opportunity in Lebanon that the US cannot afford to miss. Sustained leadership and support for the Lebanese Armed Forces can result in real disarmament, eliminating Hizballah as an Iranian proxy, and dealing Tehran another massive defeat that would further undermine the Iranian regime and help bring about its collapse.
Once again, Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, have dragged Lebanon into a war. But there are differences today. These differences are a cause for hope.
Hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Fadi Nicholas Nassar to discuss Hizballah’s role in the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the implications for Lebanon. A day after the United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran, Tehran’s Lebanese proxy fired missiles at northern Israeli territory. Israel responded swiftly and forcefully, and Lebanon’s government and population now fear the Iranian-backed militia is dragging the country back into war. The conversation explores the broader repercussions of Hizballah’s actions against the backdrop of a widening war in Iran and Lebanon’s quickly evolving political climate. Nassar also outlines recommendations for how Lebanon can move forward as a sovereign and effective state.
Today’s decision taken by the Lebanese government — to declare all of Hizballah’s security and military activities illegal — is a landmark development. But how the government and the Lebanese Armed Forces implement this directive now that a new round of attacks has actually taken place will be the ultimate test of their credibility.
منذ حرب إسرائيل التي استمرت 12 يوماً ضد إيران، دخلت طهران وشبكة وكلائها الإقليميين وحلفائها غير الحكوميين، ما يُعرف باسم محور المقاومة، في مرحلة من السكون الاستراتيجي — هدوء ظاهري يخفي إعادة التسلح والتكيف المالي والتجديد الأيديولوجي.
ينضم فادي نيكولاس نصار، زميل أول في معهد الشرق الأوسط، إلى المضيف ماثيو تشيكاج لتبادل الآراء الخبيرة والتأملات الشخصية حول زيارة البابا ليو الرابع عشر إلى لبنان في الفترة من 30 نوفمبر إلى 2 ديسمبر. يشرح نصار أهمية الزيارة، التي تعد جزءًا من أول جولة خارجية للبابا منذ توليه منصبه، وتأثيرها المحتمل على الوضع الراهن غير المستقر في لبنان. تستكشف المحادثة أسئلة رئيسية، بما في ذلك قدرة السلطة الروحية والأخلاقية على تعويض أوجه القصور في القيادة السياسية، وكذلك ما إذا كانت الحكومة اللبنانية ستتمكن من الاستفادة من الزخم الناتج عن هذه الزيارة في ظل احتمال عودة الصراع إلى الأفق.
السفير رايان كروكر يقدم تقريراً عن زيارته إلى لبنان وسوريا في الفترة من 12 إلى 17 أكتوبر، كجزء من وفد صغير نظمه مكتب المفوضية السامية للأمم المتحدة لشؤون اللاجئين (UNHCR) في واشنطن.
إن اغتنام الفرصة التي لا تتكرر إلا مرة واحدة في كل جيل في لبنان يتوقف على قدرته على حل مشكلته الأساسية: استعادة احتكار الدولة للقوة وسلطتها الحصرية في تقرير شؤون الحرب والسلام. يجب على بيروت، بدعم متزايد من الولايات المتحدة، أن تركز على تحقيق إنجازات ملموسة وانتصارات استراتيجية تضفي زخماً على عملية نزع سلاح حزب الله وتجعل إعادة الدولة لسلطتها أمراً لا رجعة فيه.
Judicial independence is at the core of any successful democracy, and for decades, this issue has been a matter of public concern in Lebanon. At a time when a credible window of opportunity for change has opened in Lebanon, restoring judicial independence is both a necessity and a prerequisite to enable the judiciary to carry out its duties and end the impunity under which it has historically operated.