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Israels continuing attack of Lebanon is the key stumbling block to ending the Iran war

By Dave Lefcourt (Page 1 of 2 pages) 6 comments

Dave Lefcourt

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The Trump-Iran Deal: Why Israel's Military is Refusing to Stand Down A historic peace deal has been signed between the US and Iran--but it has triggered an absolute crisis in Israel. In this video, we ...
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Caricture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying to President Trump, VP Nance and Iran's leader Ayatollah Khamenei he opposes Memorandum of Understanding

As we know a MOU, Memorandum of Understanding ending hostilities between the US and Iran has been agreed to and electronically signed by US President Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian on Wednesday June 17, 2026.

Further negotiations between the countries diplomats were scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday. They've been postponed because Iran considered it a violation of the MOU as Israel continues to attack Lebanon. That was included as an integral part of the MOU.

Though Trump has verbally blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even calling him a f--king idiot, the Israeli PM refuses to withdraw the IDF from its continued bombing and occupation of southern Lebanon and doesn't agree with the MOU.

What will it take for Trump to get Netanyahu to end his siege in Lebanon and proceed to end the war in Iran?

It will not be an easy task.

Despite Trump's verbal blasts on Netanyahu they haven't brought the Israeli PM to heel.

Why? Well Trump like all his predecessors before him since Israel was established by the UN in 1948 is a stalwart supporter of Israel.

The Israeli lobby in the US has enormous sway over the Congress which includes most Republicans and Democrats. They have been knee jerk supporters of Israel and will likely resist any concrete actions Trump may want to take.

Israel receives $3 1/2 billion in military aid each year from the US. The US sent $billions more to Israel after Hamas which controls Gaza attacked southern Israel in October 2023 killing some 1200 Israeli's and taking some 250 hostage.

Since then Israel has been committing genocide against the Gaza Palestinian's indiscriminately killing thousands of innocent men, women and children and destroying over 70% of their homes.

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Dave Lefcourt Social Media Pages:

Retired. The author of "DECEIT AND EXCESS IN AMERICA, HOW THE MONEYED INTERESTS HAVE STOLEN AMERICA AND HOW WE CAN GET IT BACK", Authorhouse, 2009

Related Topic(s): Attack On Iran; Iran Versus Israel; Iran War; Israel Idf; Israel Lobby; Israeli Apartheid; Israeli Bombing; Israeli Genocide; Israeli Iran Conflict; Trump, Add Tags

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3 people are discussing this page, with 6 comments

Abbas Sadeghian, Ph.D.

(Member since Dec 13, 2006), 6 fans, 132 articles, 166 quicklinks, 1028 comments (How many times has this commenter been recommended?)

The article correctly identifies Lebanon as more than a secondary battlefield. Whether one supports or opposes the recent U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, it is difficult to ignore that continued military escalation in Lebanon has repeatedly complicated efforts to consolidate the agreement into a broader regional peace. Recent reporting indicates that violence in Lebanon has already delayed or complicated follow-up diplomacy, underscoring how interconnected these conflicts have become.

One plausible political interpretation is that Prime Minister Netanyahu views a lasting U.S.-Iran rapprochement as strategically unfavorable to his long-standing security doctrine, which has emphasized sustained pressure and confrontation with Iran. If Washington and Tehran succeed in replacing military escalation with diplomacy, the political argument for an open-ended regional confrontation inevitably becomes less persuasive. That does not prove that Israeli operations in Lebanon are motivated solely by this consideration, but it helps explain why many observers see the Lebanon front as more than an isolated security campaign.

The real test of any peace agreement is not the signature ceremony but whether all parties refrain from actions that undermine confidence during implementation. The MOU created an opportunity to reduce tensions across the region. Preserving that opportunity requires restraint from every actor with the capacity to derail it. If diplomacy is repeatedly interrupted by new military crises, mistrust will grow and the political space for compromise will steadily disappear.

History demonstrates that durable peace is rarely achieved by military victories alone. It emerges when governments conclude that negotiation offers greater security than perpetual confrontation. The Middle East has reached such moments before, only to see them lost through escalation. It would be a historic mistake to allow another opening for diplomacy to collapse before it has had the chance to succeed.

References

Reuters. "With Lebanon ceasefire set, Trump envoy heads to Switzerland..." (June 19, 2026).
Reuters. "Israel, Lebanon sign initial agreement after U.S.-mediated talks." (June 26, 2026).
Associated Press. "Mediators worked through threats and strikes to broker the US-Iran deal." (June 26, 2026).
Council on Foreign Relations. "Trump's Iran Deal Reopens the Strait."
Council on Foreign Relations. "Trump's Iran Deal: What We Know So Far."
Institute for the Study of War. Iran Update Special Report (June 21, 2026).
Institute for the Study of War. Iran Update Special Report (June 18, 2026).
Critical Threats Project. Iran Update (June 22, 2026).
J Street. "Assessing the US-Iran MOU and Prospects for Negotiations."
Al Jazeera. "Why Lebanon may make or break the Iran-US deal."
The Guardian. "US-Iran deal takeaways."
Reuters coverage of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire negotiations and their relationship to the broader regional settlement.

Submitted on Friday, Jun 26, 2026 at 6:58:32 PM

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David Wieland

(Member since Jan 1, 2019), 2 fans, 1278 comments (How many times has this commenter been recommended?)

Congratulations on joining in the common, media-promoted misunderstanding of the Middle East and the relentless Islamic determination to eradicate Israel.

Submitted on Saturday, Jun 27, 2026 at 8:16:27 AM

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Abbas Sadeghian, Ph.D.

(Member since Dec 13, 2006), 6 fans, 132 articles, 166 quicklinks, 1028 comments (How many times has this commenter been recommended?)

Reply to David Wieland:

David, I think one important psychological factor is often overlooked. A substantial segment of Israeli society appears to have developed a deeply rooted perception that Israel faces a permanent existential threat and that many of its neighbors ultimately seek its destruction. Given Jewish history, repeated wars, terrorism, and the trauma of October 7, that perception is understandable, whether one agrees with every policy that follows from it or not.

The difficulty is that when a society comes to view itself as living under permanent siege, every diplomatic initiative can be interpreted as a potential security risk rather than an opportunity. That mindset does not make peace impossible, but it makes compromise much harder because trust becomes exceedingly difficult to establish.

Understanding this psychology does not require agreeing with every action of the Israeli government, nor does it diminish Israel's legitimate security concerns. It simply recognizes that perceptions of existential threat can become as politically influential as objective realities. A durable peace will require addressing both the actual security challenges and the mutual fears that continue to shape decisions on all sides.

Submitted on Sunday, Jun 28, 2026 at 1:23:16 AM

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David Wieland

(Member since Jan 1, 2019), 2 fans, 1278 comments (How many times has this commenter been recommended?)

Reply to Abbas Sadeghian, Ph.D.:

Israelis' perception that they are under a persistent existential threat from the Iranian regime and its proxies recognizes a reality that Westerners are ignorant of. In other words, they are realists in a more profound way than those obsessed with oil prices and economic fallout from efforts to inactivate that threat. The only psychological factor of note is acceptance or denial of reality. Israel has tried wishful thinking and been severely burned. Few Westerners appear to understand, but few Israelis are willing to be sucked down that path again.

Submitted on Sunday, Jun 28, 2026 at 1:46:51 AM

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Abbas Sadeghian, Ph.D.

(Member since Dec 13, 2006), 6 fans, 132 articles, 166 quicklinks, 1028 comments (How many times has this commenter been recommended?)

Reply to David Wieland:

David,

No one denies that Israelis have genuine security concerns. The October 7 attacks were horrific, and every nation has the right to defend its citizens. The real question is where legitimate self-defense ends and permanent military expansion begins.

Security cannot be achieved solely through military superiority. For decades Israel has enjoyed overwhelming military, financial, and diplomatic support from the United States, yet the region remains unstable. That should prompt reflection on whether force alone can produce lasting security.

Today there is also a political reality that cannot be ignored. Support for providing Israel with unconditional backing has declined across much of the American political spectrum. Many Democrats have become more critical, and even prominent Republicans have shown increasing frustration when Israeli policies appear to undermine broader U.S. strategic interests. Alliances are partnerships, not blank checks.

If Israeli leaders believe that perpetual confrontation is the only solution, they must also recognize that no ally is obligated to support every military decision indefinitely. Every sovereign nation ultimately bears responsibility for the consequences of its own policies.

Lasting security will come from political agreements that recognize the legitimate rights and security concerns of all peoples in the region, not from the assumption that military force can indefinitely substitute for diplomacy.

Submitted on Sunday, Jun 28, 2026 at 3:14:36 PM

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Scott Baker

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(Member since Oct 25, 2008), 77 fans, 391 articles, 1494 quicklinks, 4015 comments, 41 diaries (How many times has this commenter been recommended?)

Israel's problem isn't with Lebanon, it's with Hezbollah. Don't take it from me, take it from their ambassador in this in-depth 1 hour interview. Amb. Yechiel Leiter said once Hezblooh goes or is vanquished, Israel will get out too. They've signed a toughly negotiated peace agreement with Lebanon saying that; something which really has nothing to do with the poorly and hastily thought out MOU Trump - not even his secretary of state Marco Rubio - and Iran's much more experienced and smarter team signed. Rubio wants nothing to do with J.D. Vance either, who was the mostly ignored counter-party at the talks, obviously in over his head like Kushner and Witkoff, who as mainly there to make money and deals for real estate (ridiculous on its face).

Hezbollah remains the biggest proxy threat to Israel, but as long as Iran sponsors them, they will remain. Israel has been trying to get rid of them for decades and the Lebanese army is too weak and compromised to do it, even if the public wants Hezbollah gone.

Submitted on Friday, Jul 3, 2026 at 2:27:00 PM

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