Lebanon does not expect Israel’s policy to change after elections — Al Jazeera
In Lebanon, residents and analysts are skeptical about the prospect of a change in Israel’s policy toward their country after the Israeli elections scheduled for October 27. As Al Jazeera reports, the publication’s sources do not believe that a change in Israeli leadership will lead to an end to the occupation of parts of southern Lebanon or to a substantial revision of policy.
Beirut resident and lawyer Fouad Debs said he does not expect significant changes for Lebanon even if power changes hands in Israel. In his view, domestic political changes may result only in minor steps aimed at improving the external perception of Israeli society and policy.
Distrust of candidates’ promises
Karim Safieddine of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy noted that ahead of the elections, none of the campaign participants is promising a troop withdrawal or calling the situation in southern Lebanon a crisis or a mistake. He believes that the Israeli political establishment’s overall approach to Lebanon does not depend on a particular government.
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Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah have been engaged in hostilities of varying intensity since October 2023. In June, Israel and the Lebanese government signed a U.S.-mediated framework agreement that envisaged the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. Hezbollah rejected direct negotiations. Despite the agreement, Israel continues to occupy significant parts of southern Lebanon and systematically demolish homes and infrastructure in dozens of villages, according to Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu’s rivals
According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opponent in the elections is Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former general and chief of the Israeli army’s General Staff. Eisenkot commanded the northern front during Israel’s 2006 war against Lebanon. He is also described as the author of the Dahiya doctrine, which envisages inflicting disproportionate damage and destruction.
Lebanese researcher and podcaster Elia Ayoub noted that Netanyahu’s opponents’ criticism of him mainly concerns domestic policy and security issues, rather than the humanitarian or human rights aspects of the war. Safieddine described the current situation as a prolonged state of “neither war nor peace” and suggested that it could continue for a long time.
