U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein during a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Jan. 6, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine)
It is as if the U.N. Security Council itself were electing the president of Lebanon. As the Jan. 9 vote looms, international pressure is mounting to influence the course of events, particularly since the presidency is not solely linked to the president’s persona, nor to his uniform (whether military, security or civilian). Rather, it must serve as a rupture with the previous phase, ushering in a new era that goes beyond Lebanon’s border to include the entire Middle East. What will happen in Parliament cannot be dissociated from what is taking place at Lebanon’s border, as the region is taking a new shape.International pressure in the presidential dossier is seemingly similar to the negotiations to pass resolutions previously issued by the U.N. Security Council, such as Resolution 425 in 1978 on the liberation of the occupied territories,...
It is as if the U.N. Security Council itself were electing the president of Lebanon. As the Jan. 9 vote looms, international pressure is mounting to influence the course of events, particularly since the presidency is not solely linked to the president’s persona, nor to his uniform (whether military, security or civilian). Rather, it must serve as a rupture with the previous phase, ushering in a new era that goes beyond Lebanon’s border to include the entire Middle East. What will happen in Parliament cannot be dissociated from what is taking place at Lebanon’s border, as the region is taking a new shape.International pressure in the presidential dossier is seemingly similar to the negotiations to pass resolutions previously issued by the U.N. Security Council, such as Resolution 425 in 1978 on the liberation of the occupied...
