Skip to main content

French "ideas" for Lebanon: A cynical charade

1 min Mena Today

Two days after the visit to Lebanon by the new French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati received French Ambassador to Beirut Hervé Magro on Thursday.

French "ideas" for Lebanon: A cynical charade

Two days after the visit to Lebanon by the new French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Mikati received French Ambassador to Beirut Hervé Magro on Thursday.

Following the meeting, Magro asserted that he had presented to the Prime Minister the "ideas" of Paris regarding the situation in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been engaging in a barrage of bombings since October 8, 2023, following the Hamas attack in Israel.

One does not need to be a globally renowned expert to know the immediate measures to reduce tension. It suffices for Hezbollah to respect UN Resolution 1701 and demand that its militants vacate the border area and move beyond the Litani River, as required since 2006.

Furthermore, the narrative of the Lebanese government aligns with that of Iran. This implies that Mikati dares not ask Hezbollah to cease provocations.

This charade of diplomatic discussions between France and Lebanon appears nothing more than a theatrical performance, where "ideas" are presented with little hope of implementation and where political realities are overshadowed by regional power dynamics. The theater of diplomacy continues, while the people of southern Lebanon bear the brunt of escalating violence.

By Marc Fakhoury

Tags

Related

Hezbollah

Hezbollah and the Houthis: a denial few believe

Hezbollah on Wednesday rejected accusations that it had dispatched experts to Yemen to fight alongside the Houthis in their war against the internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia. 

Iran

Trump: ready to strike Iran, but no hurry

Iran and the United States are still far from a deal to end their war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump declined to rule out a resumption of US combat operations after the elections in the United States. 

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.