ABNA24 - At a time the Lebanese front is under influence of fast-moving regional developments more than any other time, and the scope of clashes between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israeli regime is broadening on a daily basis, the critics of the Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam argue that the government, instead of focusing all of its capacities on national sovereignty and protecting national sovereignty against the Israeli aggression, is practically destroying national cohesion in line with the interests and demands of the foreign actors and enemies of Lebanon.
In this regard, after rounds of direct talks with Israeli regime as archenemy of Lebanon, the PM visited Damascus and held talks with its interim President Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, officially called Ahmad al-Sharaa, grabbing attention of the political and media circles at home and in the region.
Although the Lebanese delegation has officially framed the trip as a push for joint cooperation on economic, energy, transport, and border issues, the timing of the visit, amid heightened tensions in both Lebanon and the wider region, has led analysts to suspect ulterior motives.
Notably, Lebanon has yet to establish formal diplomatic relations with Syria’s interim government, and the political climate between the two countries remains fraught with uncertainty and mistrust.
For this reason, Salam’s visit to Damascus cannot be dismissed as a routine diplomatic exchange. Rather, it may well be part of a broader new offensive by an Arab-Israeli-Western front against the resistance axis and Hezbollah, a move that could soon reshape Lebanon’s political and security landscape.
Meanwhile, Alwaght correspondent has discussed the visit and its details with Hassan Hanizadeh, an Iranian political West Asia affairs expert.
Asked why the Lebanese PM in this specific time frame chose Damascus for his visit, Mr Hanizadeh pointed to some recent developments inside Lebanon.
"The continuation of widespread and violent attacks by the Israeli regime's army on southern regions of Lebanon, and the inability of Nawaf Salam's government to prevent these ongoing attacks, indicate a deepening rift among Lebanon's political factions and the country's current leadership. This situation shows that the Lebanese government, particularly President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, is influenced by pressure from factions aligned with the United States, the Israeli regime, and certain Arab countries, and is attempting to pursue a new direction in Lebanon's foreign policy. In this context, several rounds of talks and consultations have taken place in recent months between Lebanese and Israeli regime ambassadors in Washington. However, serious opposition from factions close to Hezbollah and public opinion supporting it has prevented the Lebanese government from taking more concrete and visible steps in this regard," said Mr Hanizadeh.
Mr Hanizadeh continued that Salam is practically playing into the hands of the US and Israeli regime and through media propaganda is trying to erode the strong position of Hezbollah. But Hezbollah is still enjoying a considerable popular base and this is putting the government in a state of weakness against Hezbollah, making it fail to impose its agenda at home.
Mr Hanizadeh added: "The Lebanese prime minister’s trip to Syria and his meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa is also being seen as an effort to tighten coordination between Beirut and Damascus, and to align directly with the Israeli regime’s goals of weakening the Axis of Resistance. Meanwhile, the prospect of Joseph Aoun traveling to Washington, along with speculation about a possible meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has reinforced the notion that Lebanon’s current government does not truly represent all of the country’s political and social factions. This is further underscored by the government’s silence over the killing of people in southern Lebanon, a silence that suggests the government’s approach is less about national unity and more about sectarian interests. Had any non-Shiite community in Lebanon come under attack by the Israeli army, Arab regimes and Beirut officials would have certainly responded seriously. But when it comes to the killing of Shiites, they show indifference."
Hezbollah’s negative view of new Syrian officials
Asked about how Hezbollah looks at the meeting of Salam with the new Syrian leaders, Hanizadeh held that Hezbollah looks at the new Syrian rulers negatively because it believes that al-Sharaa is moving within the policies of the US and some Arab regimes and tries to, through moving closer to thr West, pave the way for establishing diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime. In the eyes of Resistance camp, the Syrian government has separated ways with it and this has caused deep distrust between Hezbollah and new Damascus leaders. That is why the political and strategic gap between the two sides looks deeper than before.
It is worth noting that during the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah was actively engaged in fighting the very groups now at the helm in Damascus. Back then, Hezbollah fought alongside its allies against these armed factions, killing a large number of their fighters. That confrontation remains embedded in the political memory of both Hezbollah movement and Syria’s current rulers. For this reason, Hezbollah sees any change in the former terrorists’ appearance or rhetoric as a mere facade, not a genuine transformation of their nature. Even though these groups now hold the power, Hezbollah still views them negatively, refuses to recognize them, and continues to regard them with deep distrust.
Washington-Riyadh's destructive role
Mr Hanizadeh continued that he believes that the trip falls under the new moves by the US and Saudi Arabia in the region, adding that Washington and Riyadh play a "destructive role" in Lebanon and are trying, through political, economic, and security pressures, push Hezbollah against the wall and prepare the ground for its disarming.
"Some reports suggest that forces affiliated with Syria's interim government may cross into Lebanese territory and engage directly with Hezbollah. Taken together, these moves point to the formation of a joint Arab-Israeli-American conspiracy against Lebanon’s resistance, a scenario whose primary goal is to weaken Hezbollah’s standing in both domestic and regional dynamics," Hanizadeh maintained.
The US and Saudi Arabia, according Hanizadeh, are aspiring to broaden their influence in Lebanon by disarming Hezbollah and eliminating it from the Lebanese politics. The broader goal that comes after Hezbollah weakening is Israeli occupation expansion and implementation of evil plots. That is why they specially count on the Lebanese government to advance their agenda.
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