Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar both posted congratulations on X today (Thursday) to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who won election to the position today following a vote in the Lebanese Parliament.
Sa'ar said that "I congratulate Lebanon upon the election of a new President, following a lengthy political crisis. I hope that this choice will contribute towards stability, a better future for Lebanon and its people and to good neighborly relations."
Joseph Aoun, formerly the head of the Lebanese Army, was chosen to be President of the Lebanese state following about two years of deadlock after the previous President vacated the seat.
A power struggle emerged between the different factions within Lebanon, with Hezbollah in particular hamstringing efforts to arrive at a consensus candidate which wasn't their preferred one. The result was Lebanon being run by a weak caretaker government unable to advance any needed changes.
The matter of the election of a President, who has broad powers over legislation and the running of government affairs, has been considered a matter so important that every mediation effort by western powers including France and the US regarding the war with Hezbollah also mentioned the importance of electing a President.
The United States has long considered Aoun to be its preferred candidate for President, and he is respected by all factions within Lebanon for his personal integrity and professionalism.
Aoun will have to deal with two serious security challenges to Lebanon: ensuring that the border with Syria is not breached with floods of refugees or infiltrated by terrorists, and that the ceasefire - including the full demilitarization of southern Lebanon - is truly observed.
The fact that Aoun needed the votes of parliamentary representatives of Hezbollah and the other Shi'ite party Amal raises the question of whether Aoun can indeed deliver on the country's commitment to keep Lebanon out of further fighting.
Foreign Minister Sa'ar, as already noted, appears to believe there's now someone to work with at the top of the Lebanese governing hierarchy.
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