Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Abdullah Bukhayb was scheduled to travel to New York today, Tuesday, to follow up on discussions regarding the renewal of the international forces operating in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year starting September 1. His aim was to urge UN Security Council member states to consider Lebanon's demands, which are centered on reversing the renewal decision made in 2022 under resolution 2650 and reinstating the previous framework that paired UNIFIL patrols with support from the Lebanese army.
However, sources informed "Wardna" that the Foreign Minister has postponed his trip to New York, citing that the reasons for this postponement are merely administrative and technical, rather than being due to a lack of financial allocations. In this context, "Wardna" sought clarification from a former foreign minister, who suggested that regardless of the reasons—whether financial or administrative—many questions remain. It seems unreasonable that a matter of such importance could not secure a modest budget. Additionally, what are the administrative reasons hindering such a mission that requires precision?
It is regrettable that we have reached a point where we publicly demonstrate that the Lebanese state is powerless; this serves as an insult to Lebanon in the eyes of a world well aware of the country's dire situation. According to the minister, the explanations provided are not convincing, and canceling a visit to the UN for non-credible reasons is disgraceful. He noted that amending last year's decision, which resulted from Lebanese state shortcomings, will not succeed, given that the amendment had garnered unanimous support from the Security Council. Should Lebanon seek amendments today, it must secure the agreement of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The United States is expected to use its veto power against any Lebanese proposals for amendments. On the contrary, there is a consensus among those countries to further support the current resolution, particularly as they perceive that UNIFIL's duties in the south are limited.
Therefore, it is possible that Lebanese political entities have recognized that an amendment will not materialize; to avoid the perception of a failed visit, it was postponed. When asked about any disagreements among the Lebanese regarding their stance on the resolution, the minister stated, "Even if there were a complete agreement among all Lebanese to revert to the previous resolution, the United States would not accept it."
