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The Hebrew newspaper “Maariv” indicated that the days will be enough to answer how the agreement between Israel and Lebanon that was signed in Washington will be implemented on the ground, pointing out that “many difficulties are still expected on the way, as in the end the Lebanese army is not exactly the Israeli army. But while the future of the Middle East is still shrouded in fog, one of the most dramatic results of the agreement is already occurring in a completely surprising arena: domestic politics in the United States.”
She explained, “Within the administration of President Donald Trump, and in preparation for the political battle for the 2028 elections, the Republican Party will have to choose between the two prominent candidates to inherit the president: Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two find themselves, not by coincidence, leading two completely different world visions and two different international agreements – practically in absolute contradiction with each other.”
She pointed out that “on one side stands Vance, who constantly pushed for a loose and lenient memorandum of understanding with Iran, which included major concessions in Lebanon that seemed almost surrender. On the other side stands Rubio, who achieved a clear and overwhelming diplomatic victory this week. Rubio brought to the table a ’14-point framework agreement,’ which is a sharp, focused document, without compromises and without concessions, that protects Israel’s security and distances Iran and Hezbollah from any authority to act in Lebanon, at least on paper.”
She considered that “a look at the texts of these two agreements reveals the depth of the abyss between them. Just two days ago, in the final statement of Rubio’s visit to the Gulf states, which the Gulf states themselves also signed, an explicit call appeared to deal with Iranian ballistic missiles and their proxies, with an absolute rejection of the Iranian demand for sovereignty and the collection of fees in the Strait of Hormuz. This is a strong and firm message from Rubio to the architects of the deal with Iran (Witkoff, Kushner, and Vance himself): This is how deals are not built.”
She added: “While in the Vance Agreement Iran practically took care of Lebanon, the Rubio Agreement contains clauses that ‘infuriated’ the Iranians and the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem. The agreement signed on Friday explicitly affirms that Israel and Lebanon have the right to live in peace and security as sovereign and neighboring states. It establishes their right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, but dramatically states that neither of them will be able to Relying on any third party for this without external interference.”
She pointed out that, “Thus, the agreement buries the false narrative that Hezbollah has been promoting for years that it is the ‘protector of Lebanon,’ as well as the slander of ‘Israeli regional expansion.’ And now, the Lebanese government itself has signed a document that says to the Iranians: We are not ready for you to interfere in our name, and we call for the dismantling of all armed militias. In practice, Beirut recognizes that the presence of the Israeli army in southern Lebanon aims exclusively to protect the towns of the north, and allows Israel to operate in places not controlled by the Lebanese authority.”
She claimed, “The Lebanese signature gives Israel strong, unparalleled diplomatic legitimacy and a clear international back to deal with any breach. The Lebanese army will not assume responsibility for the territory except on the condition that Hezbollah’s weapons are dismantled in a verified manner, and experimental zones will allow a gradual Israeli withdrawal only in places truly controlled by Beirut. Until then, Israel remains in the security zone as a practical guarantee of sovereignty. If Hezbollah does not disintegrate, responsibility and blame will fall on it and on its financier in Tehran.”
She believed that “Rubio’s 14-point agreement is much stronger than Vance’s negligent memorandum. This is a very valuable strategic achievement for Israel. Now, we will have to exploit any future violation by Hezbollah to deepen this achievement on the ground, although it is better to do so wisely and focused, without working in Beirut, so as not to anger President Trump. And without unnecessary statements. And if we borrow from the words of another American president (Teddy Roosevelt) regarding the Middle East: We must talk Quietly, but walking around with a big club.”
