In the Lebanese town of Naqoura, near the southern border, Oct. 7, 2022. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
A flurry of diplomatic activity was required for the conclusion of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The United States played the leading role, through its mediator Amos Hochstein, who was in constant contact with both sides in the past few days before the agreement was reached.But France also carried some of the weight in the home stretch. “The active interference of Emmanuel Macron, who had been following the issue very closely lately, helped to unblock the process at the last minute,” said a source at the Élysée, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. Unlike Washington, Paris maintains an open dialogue with Hezbollah and reportedly intervened several times to convince the party to give the green light to a deal with the “Zionist enemy.” It is in this vein that one must understand...
A flurry of diplomatic activity was required for the conclusion of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The United States played the leading role, through its mediator Amos Hochstein, who was in constant contact with both sides in the past few days before the agreement was reached.But France also carried some of the weight in the home stretch. “The active interference of Emmanuel Macron, who had been following the issue very closely lately, helped to unblock the process at the last minute,” said a source at the Élysée, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. Unlike Washington, Paris maintains an open dialogue with Hezbollah and reportedly intervened several times to convince the party to give the green light to a deal with the “Zionist enemy.” It is in this vein that one must...
