Israel's attacks on Lebanon have become counterproductive and risk undermining a Beirut government that should be seen as a viable partner, former senior US official Amos Hochstein has said.
A former adviser on energy to Joe Biden, Mr Hochstein said Lebanon is “in a really tough spot” and needs the support of the international community.
“The Trump administration came in with both its envoys to Lebanon, ambassador Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus, trying to move things along, which I think is right,” Mr Hochstein told On the Record with Hadley Gamble.
“But there are two parties here - Israel and Lebanon. Israel needs to understand that the muscular approach, and the more pressure … sometimes gets to a point of diminishing returns and [becomes] counterproductive.”
Mr Hochstein, who brokered a resolution to the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon in 2022 and mediated between the two sides during Israel's invasion, said the current situation is the first time he has been truly worried about where the two countries stand.
“I would encourage both sides to figure out … how do we not slide back into conflict and threatening rhetoric, which is how we started this whole thing, and rather think about how do we move to the land boundary and define a border,” said Mr Hochstein, who was in Abu Dhabi for the Adipec energy conference.
“We did it with the maritime border, we can do it with a land boundary. Then, we can have a non-aggression path. Because then we say, OK, we have a border we don't need to be enemies any more. And from there, you can move it step-by-step into a much better place for both countries. I hope we get there.”
On the disarmament of Hezbollah, Mr Hochstein said the Trump administration should consider a more realistic, dual-track approach.
“Let’s be realistic of what we can achieve,” Mr Hochstein said.
“The best way to combat them is not to focus singularly on the disarming of Hezbollah, but to do it in a dual track: build out the economy to bring in investment and support the Lebanese Armed Forces.”
He said the international community should come in “with better weapons, better training, better vehicles, better salaries, and encourage a rebuilding of society”.
“When Lebanon is prosperous, Hezbollah is weak,” he said.
Pressed on US claims that Hezbollah is regaining strength despite Israel’s decisive attacks on its leadership and foot soldiers, Mr Hochstein said that politically, at least, the group is still on the back foot.
“They are politically at the weakest moment that they've been. Maybe not as weak as they were six months ago, but they’re weak,” he said.
“The country doesn't want them. The way I would define it is they're too weak to fight Israel, but they're strong enough to fight Lebanon.
“So, I agree with the position of a gradual disarming of Hezbollah … But don't put the kind of pressure on the system that breaks it and leads us to a civil war.”
