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Lebanon: ‘People here believe Trump is going to support Netanyahu’
That’s the question being asked: What will a Trump presidency mean for the Middle East and Lebanon? More wars or peace? He has said he wants to end the conflict, but the question remains as to how.
Is he going to put pressure on Israel? Because Israel’s positions are not going to be accepted by Hezbollah, which has called Israeli proposals tantamount to surrender and the violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
We still have not gotten a reaction from Hezbollah, but in the next four hours we are going to hear from the newly appointed Secretary-General Naim Qassem in his second recorded speech since taking office. The timing is no coincidence.
Hezbollah has said it believes the United States is a party to this conflict and cannot be a negotiator or a mediator, that it has given Israel unwavering support to carry out its wars on Gaza and the Palestinian people and here in Lebanon.
People here believe Trump is going to support Prime Minister Netanyahu and we’ll see more death and destruction.
President Donald Trump, left, talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a ceremony
People in Lebanon don’t know ‘what Trump’s vision is’
The people care about the political and financial crisis that’s going on: the war, the drones above – a constant reminder that Lebanon is at war with Israel.
There’s a feeling here that policy towards Lebanon won’t change whoever is in power in the US. Then, you have the government, people who have to deal with Americans on a day-to-day basis. They’ll just have to deal with the Americans as the Americans see fit.
We don’t know what Trump’s vision for the Middle East is. It seems to change; almost every speech he gave where he talked about the Middle East was slightly contradictory to what he spoke about the time before.
The body politic is looking to see who the US special envoy to the Middle East and the secretary of state are going to be, what kind of relations they’re going to have with Lebanon.
Battlefield, not political action, will end war: Hezbollah chief
Hezbollah has broadcasted a pre-recorded speech by its Secretary-General Naim Qassem. Here are some highlights of his address:
- Tens of thousands of “trained combatants” are ready to fight Israel.
- The Palestinian cause is steadfast and will be victorious despite ongoing Israeli aggression.
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has goals but no end date for his aggression.
- Operation Al-Aqsa Flood created a new path that differs from the reality of the region.
- Netanyahu aims to occupy Lebanon and end Hezbollah’s existence.
- We expected the war to happen, so we prepared for it and are in a position to confront it.
- The resistance fighters and the party carry a solid Islamic doctrine that stands with truth, pride and dignity.
- All of our resistance fighters are martyrs who do not fear death.
- Only one thing will end this war, which is the battlefield, not political action.
- When Israel stops its aggression, there will be a road to indirect negotiations through the Lebanese state.
