Washington, United States /
Will Israel heed the warning of Joe Biden of not launching a ground offensive in Lebanon? It seems doubtful faced with the helplessness of USA for influence on its ally since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
Tension between allies
The US president implied that it is contrary to an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon and called for cease-fireamid extreme tension after Israel killed the leader of HezbollahHasan Nasrallah.
“I’m more aware than you think and I agree with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now,” Biden told reporters when asked if he is aware of Israeli ground incursion plans.
A few hours later, the State Department confirmed that the Israelis they told them that they carried out:
“Currently limited ground operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.”
A familiar scene. Every time the United States talks about diplomacy or calls for a cease-firethe Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahuseems to respond intensifying the offensive.
Last Wednesday, the United States and France jointly called for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The next day, Netanyahu announced more attacks against the Lebanese Islamist movement, backed by Iran.
At the General Assembly of the UNthe contrast It was surprising: while the israeli prime minister authorized on Friday a devastating attack against Nasrallah, the head of US diplomacyAntony Blinken, asked again for a diplomatic solution.
“Israel has the right to defend itself, but the way it does so matters,” he said at a press conference.
He has been saying it since the attack bloody movement Palestinian Hamas against Israel October 7.
Get a bigger advantage
Washington does not mourn the death of the leader of the Hezbollahwhom he considers a “brutal terrorist“, but he immediately clarified that he was not involved nor had he been informed in advance of the stroke.
The same thing happened after the death of the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, on July 31 in an attack in Iran attributed to Israel.
Israel tries take every possible advantageconsiderably weakening the Lebanese Islamist movement and in the face of a defeated Hamas in Loopsays a diplomatic source.
Despite the headwind, Washington is betting on diplomacy.
“Diplomacy remains the best and only path to achieving greater stability in the Middle East and the United States remains determined to advance these efforts with urgency” in search of a diplomatic solution in Lebanon and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Blinken said.
The latter met on Sunday with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot, who from Beirut on Monday urged Israel to “refrain from any ground incursion into Lebanon,” apparently no response.
He also spoke to Britain’s David Lammy on Monday morning, and with arab ministers on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting in Washington of the coalition against the group Islamic State (IS).
His entourage ensures that Washington does not dictate to Israel, a sovereign State, its conduct in warbut recognizes between the lines a margin of limited maneuver with Netanyahu.
Events continue without the United States being able to do much.
Joe Biden suspended a bomb delivery in May but has generally refused to use the gun pressure about Israel.
The American political calendar it doesn’t help either. While the vice president Kamala Harris campaigns against the former president donald trump for the elections November 5the government is desperate for reach an agreement in the Middle East before the elections.
The objective is avoid the impression of chaosbut few observers anticipate a change of strategyso close to the elections.
mach
