In his latest editorial published in the prestigious Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour, renowned journalist and editorialist Issa Goraieb delivers a sharp and insightful analysis of the Middle Eastern political landscape following the truce decreed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Titled "Un coup de gueule en stéréo" (An Outburst in Stereo), the piece demystifies the official narrative and exposes the true geopolitical interests driving the ceasefire that has temporarily frozen hostilities between Beirut and northern Israel.
Goraieb opens the article by contextualizing the historical skepticism of the local population, stating that the Lebanese know phony or partial ceasefires "all too well," as hundreds of them punctuated fifteen years of civil war and the ongoing conflicts with Israel. However, the author highlights that the current truce engineered by Washington stands out from previous ones for more than one reason.
Key points highlighted in the editorial include:
Recognition of Hezbollah: For the editorialist, the American mediation paradoxically ended up legitimizing Hezbollah as an intrinsic part of any agreement on the ground. For the first time, the White House publicly acknowledged speaking with representatives connected to the Shiite militia (through figures close to Nabih Berry, the Speaker of the Parliament).
The Political Theater of the Lebanese State: The text exposes the "surreal" scenario in which the official Lebanese government negotiates the end of a war on its own territory without being an active party to it. Meanwhile, Hezbollah ignores the growing complaints of its own Shiite demographic base and remains strictly aligned with the directives of Tehran.
The Iran-USA Connection: Goraieb argues that Trump’s intervention was not out of pure altruism toward Lebanon, but driven by Washington's urgent need to secure a swift deal with Iran. Coupling the Lebanese front with this truce is criticized for clashing directly with Lebanon's sovereignist path and handing an "undeserved prestige success" to the most radical elements of the Iranian regime.
The Harsh Reprimand of Netanyahu: The climax of the editorial reveals behind-the-scenes diplomacy, mentioning an absolutely unprecedented and blunt tone used by Trump over the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. President reportedly confronted the Israeli leader directly, stating: "I am saving your skin, without me you would be in prison!", in an effort to curb Israel's bloody excesses in Lebanon.
By drawing an ironic parallel between the difficulties of the Iranian president in dealing with the warmongers within the Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon's own reality of being held hostage by militias, Issa Goraieb concludes with a glimmer of hope that Washington's drastic shift in tone might finally put an end to the sinister narratives plaguing the region.
The full article is available to subscribers on the official outlet's portal.
About L’Orient-Le Jour:
Founded in 1924, L’Orient-Le Jour is Lebanon's leading French-language newspaper and one of the most respected independent periodicals in the Middle East, covering politics, culture, and economy from a local and sovereignist perspective.
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