My conversation with Nadim Houry, a Lebanese policy analyst who serves as Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative, couldn’t have been more timely. We packed a whole lot into an hour and change.
If you’re looking for analysis of what is likely to happen in the Israel-Lebanon and US-Iran negotiations, a prescription for what path forward should look like, an assessment of the current situation on the ground, AND/OR as deep a dive into Lebanese internal politics and the history of Israeli-Lebanese relations as you can get in a single podcast… this one’s for you!
The key topics Nadim and I discussed included:
The immense human toll of Israel’s war in Lebanon since March 2 — especially from the post-ceasefire “Black Wednesday” strikes two days ago
Hizballah — its history, aims, evolving political role, relationship to Iran, current strength, and attitudes toward it within Lebanese society
Lebanon’s fractious and complicated history — confessional divides, weak state, and legacy of external intervention
Israeli-Lebanese relations — from war in 1948, to relative quiet through the 1960s, to invasion and occupation amid Lebanon’s civil war, to the 2006 war, to October 7 and the subsequent war, to today
What the key parties want — the Netanyahu government (Gazafication, permanent buffer zone, possible settlements), the Lebanese government, Hizballah and Iran
A better future — strengthening the Lebanese state; disarming Hizballah; multinational security; and peace, justice, and accountability
Here are some resources to check out:
Nadim’s April 2 op-ed in Just Security: “Washington Is Backing the Wrong Lebanon Strategy” (which lays out what the US should do instead)
Nadim’s March 26 commentary: “Lebanon Needs a Legal Strategy Against Israeli Violence”
Website for Arab Reform Initiative
I’d love to hear what you think! Please share with others who will appreciate this podcast.
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We all deserve a peaceful weekend. I hope you’re able to have one.
Shabbat shalom,
Debra
