Lebanon-Israel Negotiations: A Complex History
Talk of possible negotiations with Israel has resurfaced in Lebanon, stirring debate between those who see dialogue as inevitable and others who reject it outright.
However, history shows that negotiations between the two sides are far from new. Lebanon has held multiple rounds of talks with Israel, some led officially by the state, others shaped by the realities on the ground, particularly Hezbollah’s growing influence.
Early Negotiations
The first negotiations took place in Ras Naqoura on March 23, 1949, when Lebanese officers led by Lt. Toufic Salem sat across from Israeli commander Moshe Dayan.
Under U.N. mediation, the two sides signed an armistice that ended the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and established a ceasefire line in South Lebanon — an arrangement that held for two decades under the uneasy formula of “no war, no peace.”
Subsequent Talks
The second major round occurred in 1983, a year after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
Author's summary: Lebanon and Israel have a complex negotiation history.