President Trump’s efforts to reshape the Middle East could eventually deliver his most improbable diplomatic prize yet: bringing Lebanon into the Abraham Accords after decades of hostility with Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told The Post that if Lebanon succeeds in pushing Hezbollah from the country’s south and reestablishing government control over its territory, normalization with Israel is no longer out of the question.
“I think it can be dramatic,” Danon said when asked what a Hezbollah-free Lebanon could mean for the region. “We will be very happy to see normalization — even seeing them joining the Abraham Accords.”
Such a breakthrough would mark one of the biggest expansions of the Trump-brokered accords since they were first signed in 2020, extending Israel’s diplomatic recognition with Arab states and reshaping alliances across the Middle East.
The vision aligns with a broader Trump administration effort to help Lebanon reclaim full sovereignty by eliminating Hezbollah’s military grip over the country’s south, a US official told The Post this week.
“The Trump Administration is working to achieve a sovereign Lebanon that isn’t being threatened internally by Hezbollah, and Hezbollah cannot use southern Lebanon to pose a threat to neighbors,” the official said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance both held high-level calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to help push the agreement over the finish line.
The US official said one substantial point of agreement during negotiations was that both Israel and Lebanon shared the same concern about Tehran’s influence.
“Even when Lebanon and Israel were disagreeing on everything, they agreed they didn’t want Iran meddling in their affairs,” the official said.
But Danon cautioned that Lebanon still faces enormous obstacles before any such agreement could become reality.
“It will take time,” he said. “It’s much more complicated in Lebanon when you have the involvement of Hezbollah in parliament and in other parts of government.”
The US official echoed that assessment, stressing that Hezbollah remains deeply embedded throughout Lebanon’s political and security institutions, saying: “nobody is under any illusion that it’s going to be easy.”
Israel has already done much of the heavy lifting militarily by weakening both Hezbollah — notably with the infamous pager explosions of 2024 — and its Iranian backers, creating a rare opportunity for Lebanon’s government to reclaim control over territory long dominated by the terrorist group.
“We weakened Hezbollah dramatically. We weakened the sponsor of Hezbollah, Iran,” Danon said. “I think now it’s a good time for the Lebanese to take action.”
The ambassador said Israel has recently begun the first stages of withdrawing from portions of southern Lebanon under a new security arrangement, with the expectation that the US-backed Lebanese Armed Forces will move in to replace Israeli troops.
But the withdrawal will be deliberately gradual, with Washington warning that rushing the process could allow Hezbollah to quickly return.
Israel, Danon stressed, has no interest in occupying Lebanon permanently.
“We don’t have a desire to stay in Lebanon,” he said. “We want the Lebanese military to be there.”
The ambassador praised Lebanon’s new leadership for publicly committing to curb Hezbollah’s influence but said words alone won’t be enough.
“We’re now starting to test the gap between intention and capability,” Danon said. “They have to prove not only intentions but also capabilities.”
The Abraham Accords were brokered during the first Trump administration in 2020 to establish direct relations between Israel and several nations, including the UAE and Bahrain. The accords help set up normal diplomatic, trade, travel, and economic relations between Israel and countries that previously didn’t do business with the Jewish state due to conflict with Palestinians.
For the Trump administration, a stable Lebanon no longer controlled by Hezbollah would represent another major setback for Iran’s regional influence while potentially opening the door to expanding one of the president’s signature foreign policy achievements.
Danon acknowledged that scenario remains a long way off, warning that Iran still wields significant influence inside Lebanon.
“Iran…they feel that they own the country,” he said. “It’s not easy. It requires efforts and determination.”
Iran’s actions in the war targeting Gulf states have also driven up the possibility that other nations in the region could sign onto the Abraham Accords, Danon said.
“It strengthened the relationship we already had with countries like the UAE and Bahrain and other countries,” he said. “It’s one thing to speak about the Iranian threat, but once they are being attacked by ballistic missiles and drones, it’s much more realistic.”
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