Walid Jumblatt, the Druze leader in Lebanon and a Hezbollah ally, stated that the Lebanese negotiating team in Washington is 'more Israeli than Israel.' He claimed some Lebanese already accept that the south is no longer part of Lebanon, and that he sees no prospect for reconciliation with Israel. The remarks reflect deepening internal fractures in Lebanon over US-brokered talks with Israel.
Walid Jumblatt, the leader of Lebanon's Druze community and an ally of Hezbollah, delivered sharp criticism of the Lebanese delegation currently negotiating with Israel in Washington under US auspices. In a statement published this morning, Jumblatt described the team as "more Israeli than Israel," asserting that some Lebanese factions have effectively accepted that southern Lebanon is lost to the country. He further stated that he sees no possibility of reconciliation with Israel, and that the region faces a "new map of Israel" whose borders remain undefined. The comments come amid a backdrop of mounting internal divisions in Lebanon over the talks, where Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has already rejected direct negotiations as "absurd and shameful." As The Zioneer has reported, skepticism runs deep: internal critics accuse the government of endangering the nation by allowing IDF presence in the south and over-relying on American support while disregarding Iranian backing for Hezbollah. Jumblatt's unusually blunt language signals that even Hezbollah's traditional allies view the diplomatic process as fundamentally detrimental to Lebanese sovereignty.
- DevelopingHezbollah MP Ali Fayyad accuses Lebanese government of negotiating 'as if defeated' ahead of president's US visit
- DevelopingSenior Israeli security official: Hezbollah fears Syrian intervention in Lebanon more than IDF
- StrongPresident Herzog: Israel-Lebanon talks resume Monday in Washington; Hezbollah disarmament must be part of any deal
- DevelopingUS Ambassador Mike Huckabee: Israel-Lebanon deal 'historic,' both nations no longer at war
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