Israeli envoy warns US-led talks with Lebanon are veering off course

Israel's ambassador to Washington and its representative in the talks with Lebanon, Yechiel Leiter, sharply criticized the American approach on Tuesday during the fifth round of negotiations. Speaking to Ynet, he said the process had reached a critical point and warned, “We are in a train wreck.”

Leiter said that in the first four rounds, Israel, Lebanon and the United States were moving toward a clear goal, full peace, removing Iran’s influence from Lebanon, dismantling Hezbollah, and securing peace and safety for both countries. He said the talks now risk losing that direction and added, “I hope we can get it back on track.”

He stressed that from Israel’s perspective, Hezbollah’s disarmament and the removal of Iranian influence must remain at the center of the discussions. “The only issue is Hezbollah. Hezbollah must be defeated and removed from the equation,” he said, warning that the group may already be feeling emboldened. Leiter also rejected the idea that the talks should focus on “deconfliction,” arguing that Israel is not in conflict with Lebanon, only with Hezbollah.

Leiter recalled that at the end of a previous round, the three sides issued a joint statement saying the future relationship between Israel and Lebanon would be decided by the sovereign governments, outside interference would be rejected, Hezbollah would be dismantled and prevented from reestablishing itself, and Iran’s “malign conduct” in the region should be condemned. He questioned whether those principles still apply, said Israel will act against immediate and emerging threats to its civilians and soldiers, and warned that any future money flowing to Iran could eventually reach Hezbollah and help it rebuild.