International Involvement Predicament (3) – Finality of Claims?

What is the Issue?

• Comprehensive settlement rationale = finality of claims – The international community, the US and Israel aspire to reach a comprehensive and lasting political settlement in Lebanon, which will include the full implementation of Resolution 1559 and the resolution of all outstanding issues between Israel and Lebanon, such as the control over Shebaa Farms, disarmament of Hizbullah and release of prisoners.​

• This means that such a settlement will rely on the finality of claims between Israel and Lebanon, which will preclude any justification for future conflict.

• Permanent resistance rationale = no finality of claims – Hizbullah is one of the forces of permanent resistance that work to de-legitimize Israel and oppose any political settlements that are based on finality of claims.

• These forces wish to sustain the struggle against Israel by raising existing claims, or by creating new ones (as in the case of the Shebaa Farms)​

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Why is This Important?  Why Now?​

• Due to these contradicting rationales, the permanent resistance will attempt to undermine any future arrangement in Lebanon which would attempt to resolve the outstanding issues between Israel and Lebanon.​

• Therefore, the prospects for a sustainable and comprehensive settlement seem dim.​

• Hizbullah and the permanent resistance forces will attempt to reach local, temporary and conditional arrangements that would enable them to continue the resistance in other locations, during different periods of time and under other circumstances.