ISRAEL PERSPECTIVE

Tel Aviv frames the talks as a "crushing victory over Hezbollah" — the exact words of Ambassador Leiter in the Jerusalem Post. The tone is triumphant, not negotiating. Leiter spoke of "crossing the border in a bathing suit to swim on the beaches of both countries" and called the exchange "wonderful." The Jerusalem Post reports that during a preparatory call Friday, Leiter told CBS that a peace agreement could be reached "in two to three months" if Hezbollah is sidelined. But the JP's analysis is more nuanced than official discourse: the paper also publishes an article noting that "Lebanon neither wants peace nor normalization" — it wants a ceasefire to survive. Lebanese Ambassador Moawad called for a ceasefire and return of the displaced, not normalization. Leiter also reiterated France's exclusion ("they are not necessary, they have no positive influence"), but Arab voices cited by the JP are more measured: Lebanese journalist Mustafa Himawi notes that "the Lebanese government has nothing to offer Israel."