Israeli president welcomes French plan for Lebanon negotiations

President of Israel Isaac Herzog has welcomed a French initiative to promote direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, describing the proposal as a significant and constructive step amid ongoing regional tensions.

Speaking in an interview with AFP, as reported by Le Figaro, Herzog responded to a proposal put forward by Emmanuel Macron. Over the weekend, Macron called on Israel to agree to “direct talks” with Lebanon’s executive leadership and “all parties” in the country, adding that France was ready to “facilitate” the process and “welcome them in Paris.”

“I think this is a very positive development,” Herzog said when asked about Macron’s initiative. “I think it is very important that there be negotiations (...) These negotiations are very important because the time has come when we have an opportunity to move forward with Lebanon.”

At the same time, Herzog called on European governments to take a firm stance against Hezbollah, urging broader support for efforts aimed at dismantling the group.

“Europe must support any efforts, any efforts aimed at eradicating Hezbollah,” he said. He added that European countries should “understand that if we want to move forward, sometimes we need to win a war.”

The interview also addressed the broader regional context, including the ongoing war involving Iran, which Herzog described as a pivotal moment.

“We are at a historic turning point,” he said, “a moment when, after endless wars for more than a generation, bloodshed and terror, the root cause of all this, emanating from Tehran, will be blocked and stopped, and the trajectory will be changed.”

By Tamilla Hasanova