Netanyahu tells cabinet to start direct talks with Lebanon

[Twiglets1]

Reported in the BBC today that Benjamin Netanyahu says he's told his cabinet to start direct talks with Lebanon "as soon as possible".

In a statement posted on X in Hebrew, it says he requested this to his cabinet yesterday, in light of "repeated calls" from Lebanon to open direct negotiations.

He adds that the talks will focus on the "disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon".

The only unhinged comments are coming from those being interviewed and outed on the journalists piece that I commented on.

Pieces taken from the TV in Israel and from locals being interviewed.
Perhaps Watch it

There has been so much footage coming out of Israel from mainstream TV talk shows and interviews in Israel by reputable international journalists the argument of it being unhinged propaganda and isolated extreme views is becoming less and less convincing.

Thanks Boolabus.
As I only do mumsnet I hadn’t seen much before. Only whats posted on this site
I wasn’t going to watch to the end as I was so appalled by the locals comments.

I’m glad I did as clearly
after seeing the TV chat show pieces the article is not a piece of propaganda
its not a set up
This is reality in Israel

Your only source of information on this subject is mumsnet and that qualifies you to decree that that video from a well known anti-Israeli news outlet is not propaganda, despite the opening few seconds which lay out its biases for all to see. I think proving Dairy's point.

As for 'reality in Israel' what qualifies you to judge that?

What’s Dairy’s point ?

No one on here called Dairy

Sorry, Dairy's point was on another thread. The rest of my post absolutely stands.

It stands as much as Dairy’s point

You said it yourself that your only source of information on this subject is mumsnet.

That is not enough to have an informed opinion. An opinion, yes.

This is a discussion site not a site predominantly for gaining information on subjects much beyond how to get wine stains out of carpets, etc.

I think that Bibi Netanyahu’s biggest mistake he will ever make is by humiliating Trump by convincing him into that ridiculous, ill conceived war with Iran. A ploy he had tried and failed with two former presidents because it had zero chance of success.

Iran has stolen victory out of the jaws of defeat and because of that Hezbollah will be safer than they could have dreamed thanks to that bonkers hubris filled miscalculation. Also this very likely that the recent Israeli incursion will increase Hezbollah’s popularity in Lebanon even with people who previously held minor disdain for the organisation.,

Trump is currently calling the shots with extremely unpopular demands for Isreal to negotiate with Lebanon.

Not my only source of information on this whole subject
This is My only source re whats on the TV in Israel
In the news I’ve seen protests by those opposing Israel’s war.
In the news I’ve seen some celebrations of Israelis celebrating the attacks on Gaza etc
We are I think protected from much of that though

We don’t get to see much on U.K. news in terms of Israelis opinions on Arabs in general
We don’t get to see their TV chat shows.

The chat show piece if shown on our news would be a real shock to many outside of Israel.

So if people want to see a broader reality or opinion then thankfully they can post on here
for discussion and information.

Maybe we should see chat shows in Iran that are run by extremists, that would be a shock too.

I’m sure chat shows in Iran would be interesting too
Ill watch them if they are posted

Im glad you think those Israeli ones are a shock

What a lot of edits!

I liked your first response best.

Lebanon have agreed to hold peace talks with Israel next week. The exact date of next week’s meeting has not been confirmed, but senior Lebanese officials said they would participate in direct negotiations.

One official told the BBC that a ceasefire must be established for the talks to take place, while another told Reuters that the first set of negotiations would agree an initial truce before longer-term discussions.

According to Reuters, Both sides are under pressure from Trump to bring about an end to the fighting, a key demand by Iran in parallel talks due this weekend in Pakistan.

HOW DID THE TALKS COME ABOUT?

A week into the current war, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun expressed willingness to begin direct negotiations with Israel to halt the fighting, even saying he was ready to move forward with normalizing relations.

Israel rebuffed that historic offer, deeming it too late from a government that shares its goal of disarming Hezbollah but cannot act against the group without risking a civil war.

Israel's position changed after the U.S. and Iran reached a deal on Tuesday to halt fighting. With Iran insisting that Israel cease fire on Lebanon ahead of talks in Pakistan, Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Thursday to lighten up attacks on Hezbollah, a source familiar with the matter said.

Later on Thursday, Netanyahu announced Israel would begin negotiations with Lebanon.

www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-lebanon-are-expected-hold-talks-what-do-we-know-2026-04-10/

I think that different officials saying different things to different agencies could be an indicator of fragmentation?

Then again they are officials. And it's not unusual for them to say different things. So probably best to not read too much into it.

We should really wait for a TRUTH to come out ?

Thanks

Further to my above posts on different officials saying different things, stuff like this below certainly does not help. From CNN, 10 mins ago :

"Prominent Israeli rights group slams far-right minister's comments about land grab

By Ivana Kottasová, Dana Karni and Ibrahim Dahman

A prominent Israeli human rights organization has criticized calls by the country’s far-right finance minister who suggested Israel should expand its borders deeper into Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian territories.
B’Tselem said in a statement Friday that Bezalel Smotrich’s declaration “clarifies exactly the vision guiding Israel’s actions.”

Similar to the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, Israel continues to declare its intentions for widespread destruction and the occupation of southern Lebanon.”
B’Tselem

It said the international community “continues to grant Israel immunity that allows it to spread destruction and death across the Middle East.”
Speaking at a ceremony marking the inauguration of a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Smotrich said:
“There will be a diplomatic leg in Gaza that will expand our borders, with God’s help. There will be a concluding diplomatic leg in Lebanon that will expand our borders up to the Litani (river), to defensible borders. And there will be a concluding diplomatic leg in Syria, with the crown of Mount Hermon and at least a buffer zone.”
Smotrich also spoke about the country having a “concluding diplomatic leg in Judea and Samaria that completely kills the idea of a Palestinian state,” using the biblical name for the West Bank.
Smotrich is a member of Israel’s Security Cabinet, which sets policy on security matters and authorizes major military actions. The Israeli government has not officially approved any plans to expand the borders and such a move would likely spark a huge international backlash against the country.
Israel is set to hold elections this year, and opinion polls by multiple Israeli outlets indicate Smotrich’s party is at risk of getting voted out of parliament.
Meanwhile, Hamas, which has once again tightened its grip over half of Gaza, said Smotrich’s comments “undermined the ceasefire agreement signed last October.”"

Pardon ? The Finance minister said this ?

“There will be a diplomatic leg in Gaza that will expand our borders, with God’s help. There will be a concluding diplomatic leg in Lebanon that will expand our borders up to the Litani (river), to defensible borders. And there will be a concluding diplomatic leg in Syria, with the crown of Mount Hermon and at least a buffer zone.”

And he said it while : "Speaking at a ceremony marking the inauguration of a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Smotrich said:"

He said THAT, and he is still a Government minister ? WOW.

He said THAT, and he is still a Government minister ? WOW.

Yep but apparently we're not meant to believe him, he's sn extremist doesn't represent Israel and it's all the fault of the proportional representation voting system or some other excuse....
Problem with this argument is that the actions of the Israeli state suggest otherwise, and we should absolutely believe every word he says.

Believe him or not, the fact he says that as a minister of a Government going into peace talks, and is not instantly sacked, is astounding.

Totally fair enough really if he is an elected representative. Like a Reform MP in the UK (But even then). But as an appointed member of their cabinet. Wow.

Gives one a good indication of where Netanyahu is at I suppose. I can imagine if a UK minister said something like that. It would not just be his head on the block, it would be Starmer himself.

Haha I'm sure we will hear many versions of the TRUTH before long.

I am getting confused over what thread is for what. There are so many.

Anyway, re truth, Trump just said this to the NYP, per the CNN feed:

You’re dealing against people that we don’t know whether or not they tell the truth,

Full CNN report clip below. I left the hyperlink in:

"President Donald Trump warned Iran that if a peace deal isn’t reached, the United States will resume its military action with even more intensity, saying, “We have a reset going.”
“We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made — even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart,” Trump told the New York Post in a Friday phone interview, going on to say the US would be “using them very effectively” if there’s no deal.
As Vice President JD Vance heads to Pakistan to lead talks with the Iranians, Trump said the next 24 hours would reveal whether the talks will be successful.
“We’re going to find out in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon,” Trump said.
The president also expressed doubt about Iran’s messaging.
“You’re dealing against people that we don’t know whether or not they tell the truth,” he said.
“To our face, they’re getting rid of all nuclear weapons, everything’s gone. And then they go out to the press and say, ‘No, we’d like to enrich.’ So we’ll find out,” Trump said."

This is the thread that is dedicated to talking about the Lebanon talks (although of course threads often go off piste).

It is a difficult situation but, truth to be told,there is only one way forward. A final total ceasefire, Hezbollah to be fully disarmed and control of Lebanon to be restored to its actual government and Israel withdrawal from all Lebanon territory for good.
Trump is not a person to mess up with. I do not think Netanyahu can play him at this game any longer. Though Netanyahu certainly thinks he can spin Trump around his little finger. Trump can withdraw US support at any time and he has proven that once something goes into his (mostly empty) head, he goes through with it. He did that to Ukraine for two or so days. Trump is bonkers enough to do anything. And he is in a pickle regarding this war. I think it is time for Netanyahu to listen and abide by the rules, the deadlines, the timeframes and the ceasefire conditions. For real.