Seth Mandel
Commentary, Aug. 15, 2024
“Essentially, Mideast regional diplomacy is a relic from another era.”
On the surface, it makes sense that Amos Hochstein spent the lead-up to this week’s ceasefire negotiations in Lebanon. Hochstein, a presidential advisor on energy, is also President Biden’s envoy to most multi-party negotiations involving the U.S. and Lebanon. Hezbollah is currently trying to draw Israel into a war in south Lebanon, and Hochstein is mediating attempts to avoid escalation.
On the other hand, the ceasefire negotiations do not include Hezbollah. Nor do they cover Lebanon. Any ceasefire deal would be between Israel and Hamas. So what exactly was Hochstein doing in Beirut?
The answer is, he was playing his role in an elaborate piece of geopolitical theater that is frankly getting old fast.…Source