President Aoun defends dialogue with Israel as path to stability

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that negotiations with Israel should not be seen as a form of capitulation, stressing that dialogue is a necessary tool to strengthen security and stability, particularly in southern Lebanon.

Speaking at the Baabda Palace, Aoun said the Lebanese state is committed to pursuing any path that serves the country’s national interest. 

“We are working through negotiation to consolidate security and stability, especially in the South, and negotiating does not mean surrender,” he said.

The president emphasized that his priority is to prevent a return to war and to focus instead on rebuilding the country. 

“What matters most is keeping the specter of war away, launching reconstruction efforts, enabling residents to remain on their land, reviving the economy, and strengthening the state,” Aoun added.

His remarks come months after the war between Hezbollah and Israel ended with a ceasefire agreement in November 2024. As part of that agreement, a ceasefire monitoring committee, often referred to as the “mechanism,” was established under the leadership of an American general. 

Initially composed solely of military officials, the committee took on a new dimension in early December when President Aoun appointed a civilian member, former Lebanese ambassador Simon Karam, a move that surprised many observers.

The president’s approach reflects political pragmatism. Dialogue with Israel, however sensitive, remains the most realistic way to maintain calm along the southern border and to avoid another devastating conflict. Negotiations do not imply weakness or submission, but rather an effort to protect Lebanon’s fragile stability and safeguard its future.

Claims of capitulation largely come from actors who benefit from perpetual confrontation. 

Hezbollah, backed by Iran, continues to portray any diplomatic engagement as betrayal, while repeatedly dragging Lebanon into cycles of destruction and instability. 

In contrast, the Lebanese state’s pursuit of dialogue signals a desire to restore sovereignty, rebuild the country, and place national interests above ideological warfare.