Hochstein says a border deal can pacify Israel-Lebanon conflict

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has said that he does not expect peace between Israel and Hezbollah, but argued that boosting Lebanon’s economy and armed forces would decrease Iranian influence in country.

In an interview with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Hochstein added that a Lebanon-Israel land border agreement implemented in phases could curb the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

“I’m not expecting peace, everlasting peace, between Hezbollah and Israel,” Hochstein said.

“But if we can reach a set of understandings and … take away some of the impetus for conflict and establish for the first time ever a recognized border between the two, I think that will go a long way,” he added.

He said that a first phase in such a plan would be to allow for tens of thousands of displaced residents to return to their homes in south Lebanon and north Israel.

That would require a strengthening of the Lebanese Army, including recruiting, training and equipping forces, Hochstein added.

The second phase would involve an economic package for Lebanon, “making sure that the international community demonstrates to the Lebanese people that we’re invested in them.”

“We have a solution for (Lebanon’s electricity crisis), we’ve put together a package that could create a solution that would take them to 12 hours of electricity in a … short amount of time,” Hochstein said.

He added that the third phase would be a land border agreement between Lebanon and Israel.