Lebanon ‘far from’ diplomatic normalization or economic relations with Israel, prime minister says

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BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s prime minister said Wednesday that his country was “far from” diplomatic normalization or economic relations with Israel, despite a move toward direct negotiations between the two countries aimed at defusing tensions.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s comments to a small group of journalists in Beirut came in contradiction to a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel would send an envoy to talks with Lebanese diplomatic and economic officials, which he described as an “initial attempt to create a basis for relations and economic cooperation” between the two countries.

Lebanon and Israel both announced the appointment of civilian members to a previously military-only committee monitoring enforcement of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah a year ago. The civilian members took part in Wednesday’s meeting of the mechanism.

The two countries don’t have diplomatic relations and have been officially in a state of war since 1948. The move to hold civilian talks appeared to be a step toward the direct bilateral talks between Israel and Lebanon that Washington has pushed for.

However, Salam said Lebanon that is still committed to the 2002 Arab peace plan that conditions normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel on the creation of a Palestinian state — a prospect to which Netanyahu’s administration has been adamantly opposed.

“Economic relations would be part of such normalization, so then obviously anyone following the news would know that we are not there at all,” Salam said.