Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is in Washington for four days to hold talks with representatives of the Joe Biden administration and representatives of President-elect Donald Trump, on reaching a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon that would be satisfactory to both administrations.
Dermer, Netanyahu's closest ally and a crucial liaison to the Trump team and the Republican Party for the past 10 years, is working on a draft agreement that secures Israeli demands on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
His meetings in Washington come amid reports that diplomatic arrangements to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could be near.
Israeli Demands
It seems that optimism about reaching a ceasefire deal in Lebanon rather hinges on Israeli-US understandings rather than on negotiations with Lebanon, where Hezbollah categorically rejects any additions to Resolution 1701. The Biden administration has proposed that Israel’s demands be listed in a letter of assurances sent by the White House to Netanyahu.
For Israel, those demands include the full implementation of UN resolution 1701, with a presence of double the number of Lebanese Army soldiers in the South, in addition to UNIFIL forces.
Israel also requires the deployment of non-Lebanese forces to implement the resolution, prevent Hezbollah from returning to the south or firing rockets into northern Israel.
The demands also stipulate that Syria prevents the transfer of weapons from its territory to Lebanon.
Further, they require that during the initial 60-day implementation period, Lebanon will dismantle and confiscate all military assets, arms, and infrastructure of all non-state armed groups south of the Litani River.
Any possible ceasefire deal would also recognize Israel’ right to act against violations of Resolution 1701.
At this point, US officials demand that Israel should not act against these violations immediately. Instead, they request that Tel Aviv first inform Washington about the breaches and allow for consolations with UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army to solve any problem.
Political sources in Tel Aviv confirmed progress in the Israeli-US negotiations for a ceasefire.
If Dermer succeeds to conclude an understanding, then President Biden’s envoy Amos Hochstein will travel to Beirut to negotiate a deal with the Lebanese government and Speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of Hezbollah.
Army Radio reported earlier in the day that Dermer had secretly visited Russia last week to discuss their potential involvement as a party that could guarantee that Hezbollah would not rearm along Israel’s northern border.
Israel's Channel 12 reported Sunday that Dermer's efforts come as Tel Aviv fears that the UN Security Council adopts a new resolution that would severely restrict Israel's military freedom. The UN Security Council may seek to pass a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of fighting in the Gaza Strip, or imposing strict restrictions on Israeli military activities in Gaza and Lebanon.
Trump’s Wishes
Sources said Netanyahu is being extremely cautious with Trump and his wishes to end the war. The PM has chosen Dermer to follow up with the President elect to show positive signs about Israel’s willingness to finish the war.
Netanyahu wants the war to continue on condition that the Americans blame Hezbollah or Hamas or both for any failure to reach a ceasefire deal, the sources affirm.
January 20
Meanwhile, Ariel Bulshtein wrote on Sunday at the right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper that Donald Trump's re-election as US president is excellent news for Israel in so many ways that it is not easy to choose which is the most important.
He said Trump will help Israel to exterminate Hamas in Gaza, eliminate the Hezbollah threat from Lebanon, narrow Iran's nuclear options, stop international funding for anti-Israel UN agencies, curb the actions of international courts against Israel and its leaders, and normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
He said the US and Israel will begin to work on those topics starting January 20, 2025 in the absence of any obstacles which Tel Aviv had to face under the Biden administration.
