Recently, there has been a noticeable decline in public interest regarding local and international initiatives aimed at resolving the presidential election crisis. News of escalating Israeli threats of war against Hezbollah and Lebanon has taken center stage, clearly indicating the difficulty of advancing the presidential election file at the present time. This shift in focus awaits the outcome of the Israeli aggression in Gaza or, at the latest, the date of the upcoming American presidential elections, according to "Al-Liwaa."
The discussions surrounding the schedules of the Quintet Committee's movements—in relation to local factions or active and friendly countries—aimed at overcoming challenges and ending the Lebanese divide, have nearly vanished from the news and public interest. There is little concern for the fate of the committee's last statement and the timelines for electing a new president, as interest has significantly diminished in following the latest movements of the Democratic Meeting initiative in this regard. Additionally, the activities of the Moderation Bloc towards political factions have dwindled to the point of abandoning this challenging task for now. No one seems to be interested in the fate of the French presidential envoy, Yves Le Drian, and his efforts to make headway on the presidential issue.
Apart from the visits of the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, to Lebanon—where they emphasized the importance of electing a president—the majority of Lebanese have chosen to overlook the presidential election file. This neglect is overshadowed by news of mutual threats between Israel and Hezbollah and discussions about the possibility of imminent war between them, eclipsing all other events and obligations.
It appears that all those involved in the presidential initiatives have resigned themselves to the reality that their efforts and movements have encountered a thick wall of rejection from Hezbollah regarding the resolution of the presidential election crisis at this time. They have reluctantly accepted the impossibility of moving forward with efforts to ease difficulties and bridge viewpoints to resolve the presidential election crisis, independent of the conclusion of the Israeli war on Gaza, the removal of tensions, and the ongoing clashes in southern Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israeli occupation forces. Furthermore, they await a final agreement to establish security and stability in the region.
As they wait for the outcome of the ongoing Israeli threats against Lebanon—whether towards war or peace—the issue of electing a president remains frozen and captive to the dominance of Hezbollah's weaponry until further notice. This situation may either exploit the developments of the confrontation and the conclusion of the Gaza war to impose the election of a president favored by its allies or reach an agreement with political parties to elect a president that gains the approval of all parties, according to "Al-Liwaa."
