Over the past few weeks, I have traveled to Lebanon and Jordan. I feel honored and privileged to advise the UN in difficult negotiations. Naturally, I am not allowed to share any information about these negotiations, as all details are classified.
However, I am permitted to share my impressions and feelings. I hope my assessment will provide you with a better understanding of the negotiations in the Middle East. As always, I focus on the negotiations rather than on politics.
Yesterday, a new level of escalation was reached in Lebanon. The explosion of the pagers killed 12 people and injured more than 2800. During my time in Beirut, I had the feeling that an attack or assassination was imminent. The atmosphere was very tense and I felt none of the supposed joie de vivre in the former “Paris of the East”.
I asked all my conversation partners the same question: What will the post-war period look like? How will the Middle East evolve after the “day after”?
They all failed to provide an answer. There is no clear direction or realistic solution for the post-war period. This sense of helplessness among many decision-makers has deeply affected me. If you don’t have an overarching and positive goal for a negotiation, you cannot set and achieve short-term goals.
You are welcome to watch my short video about my time in Lebanon and Jordan. Based on this, I would like to share my assessments and offer possible solutions.
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