
Sources told The Jerusalem Post that Israel has ruled out France’s participation in the anticipated direct talks with Lebanon, scheduled to be held next week in the US capital, Washington.
An Israeli official was quoted as saying that this position stems from Tel Aviv’s assessment of Paris’s performance over the recent period, considering that its moves were not balanced, particularly with regard to its approach to the file related to Iran.
He also indicated that the absence of tangible French steps to support efforts to address the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons contributed to reinforcing Israel’s conviction that the French role was not neutral, prompting it to reject its involvement in the current negotiating track.