Ambassador Yechiel Leiter cautioned Tuesday that the U.S.-mediated negotiations with Lebanon risk collapse, saying 'we cannot afford commitments that fade away.' The warning, reported by Israel Hayom, comes as the fifth round of talks continues in Washington.
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter escalated his criticism of the fifth round of U.S.-mediated Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington on Tuesday evening, warning that the process is 'in danger of derailing' and that 'we cannot afford commitments that fade away,' according to a statement reported by Israel Hayom. The remark — published as a new development around 19:00 Jerusalem — deepens a series of sharp warnings Leiter has issued throughout the day. It follows an earlier comment, first reported by The Zioneer at 18:09 Jerusalem, in which Leiter opened the talks by blasting the Trump administration and calling the situation a 'train wreck' (version 3 of this thread).
Leiter's warning builds on a sequence of tense statements. At the opening of the same round (version 2, also 18:09 Jerusalem), he said the talks risked derailing because Hezbollah feels 'emboldened' and Iranian involvement is growing, recalling that the talks began four rounds ago with clear goals. By 18:18 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported Leiter's claim that Hezbollah feels emboldened by the diplomatic process. Across the thread, the warning has sharpened from a general risk assessment to a direct accusation against U.S. policy.
As The Zioneer previously reported, Leiter has been steadily criticising the U.S. approach. On Jun 16, he rejected a Lebanon clause in the emerging U.S.-Iran framework as 'unhelpful and unnecessary' and responded to Iranian threats and ceasefire allegations. On Jun 5, he argued that Hezbollah rocket fire violated ceasefire terms and justified Israeli strikes in Beirut. The backdrop includes an analysis by Yair Goldblatt (Jun 17) warning Israel against yielding to U.S. diplomatic pressure on Lebanon.
It remains unclear whether Leiter's latest warning represents a formal Israeli position or is a personal, albeit high-level, expression of frustration. No immediate response from Washington or Beirut has been reported, and no specific trigger for the 'commitments that fade away' remark has been identified beyond the general state of the talks.
5 developments
- DevelopingIsraeli ambassador to US responds to Iranian threats, ceasefire allegations
- StrongIsrael's US envoy: No withdrawal from southern Lebanon under Iran deal
- DevelopingPakistan warns Israel's Lebanon offensive threatens US-Iran talks
- ConfirmedIsrael's UN envoy blasts Trump: Terror states cannot be compared to other nations
Source and signal
- Internal intake