Washington, DC – In response to the announcement of a ten-day ceasefire in Lebanon, J Street Chief Policy Officer Ilan Goldenberg issued the following statement:
“We are relieved by today’s announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon, and hope that it brings an end to the heart-wrenching toll of this war.
The hard work begins now to find a way forward in which Israel and the United States work with the Lebanese government and the Lebanese Armed Forces to marginalize Hezbollah and bring an end to its decades of destabilization. This rare opportunity – where a moderate, US-aligned Lebanese government is willing and eager to pursue that goal – must not be wasted.
We urge the US Government to sustain its engagement with both sides to ensure this war ends in a political resolution. It is past time for Netanyahu’s government to end a war with a durable diplomatic agreement, rather than another indefinite military campaign.”