Lebanon ready to negotiate with Israel: 'Land in exchange for peace'

The Lebanese government is ready to consider any proposal for negotiations with Israel to achieve a "solid, lasting, and effective" peace based on the "land for peace" formula. This was stated by Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in an interview published by the newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour.

"In the last cabinet meeting, we reiterated our willingness to resume negotiations, which include a civil component and take place under international auspices," Salam stated. "The issue of direct negotiations with Israel was not addressed, and the Israelis did not respond to our proposal, but we are ready to discuss any agenda, format, or location for the talks." The Prime Minister then reiterated Lebanon's goal of achieving a "solid, lasting, and effective peace". "The Israelis have destroyed Gaza, continue to colonize the West Bank, and have annexed East Jerusalem," Salam said, "but we have no other alternatives but an initiative based on a very simple formula: ‘land for peace’." "Because," he concluded, "a lasting Israeli pax does not exist."