Report: U.S. Tells Israel Not to Sell Lebanon to the Syrians
Senior U.S. State Department officials have sent messages to their Israeli counterparts to express concern about the negative effects of a peace deal with Syria on Lebanese sovereignty, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday.
"Don”t sell Lebanon to the Syrians," American officials reportedly said in their messages.
The Israeli paper said the U.S. diplomatic messages asked Israel to remain committed to Lebanese sovereignty at all costs, stating "Israel must not sacrifice Lebanon for the sake of peace with Syria."
A senior Israeli foreign ministry official said the U.S. even asked Israel for "guarantees" on the matter.
However, a source in the Israeli Prime Minister”s office said Tuesday "the matter is not even on the table."
Israeli political sources told Haaretz that the U.S. concerns stemmed from a number of recent statements made by Israeli officials in closed forums to the effect that only Syria is capable of restraining Hizbullah in Lebanon.
According to Haaretz, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak”s chief of staff, Michael Herzog, was the last Israeli official to speak in such terms, saying at a Washington forum several weeks ago "in the framework of a peace deal, Israel has to recognize Syria”s unique position in Lebanon."
Some U.S. officials took that statement to be a seal of approval for renewing Syrian control over Lebanon. Herzog added that Lebanese democracy lacks a firm foundation and that Hizbullah and its allies effectively run the country.
Several points of conflict remain between Washington and Tel Aviv over the issue of Lebanon and Syria, Haaretz said.
Israeli officials believe the incoming Obama administration will take positions similar to those of previous administrations and bolster the government of PM Fouad Saniora, particularly ahead of Lebanon”s 2009 parliamentary elections, the Israeli paper reported.
Haaretz referred to Israeli political sources that said the U.S. is placing significant pressure on Israel to complete its withdrawal from the border village of Ghajar before the Lebanese elections in order to strengthen the Saniora government.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Hale expressed such sentiments during a visit to Israel several days ago.
The paper said that during meetings Israeli officials told Hale the issue of Ghajar must be handled by the Lebanese government alone, as must violations of U.N. Security Council 1701.
It added that Hale reportedly responded undiplomatically, saying "withdrawal from Ghajar is something you must do. You are not doing this for us, but implementing the demarcation of the Blue Line, so don”t try to use this to get points or sympathy from the United States."