Lebanese "Normalization" with Israel?

1. Legally:
- Normalization should start with a peace treaty, which may include provisions for normalization.
A peace treaty and a normalization agreement are diplomatic accords, but they have different purposes in international relations. A peace treaty may outline a path to normalization.

A Peace Treaty is a formal agreement, typically mediated by an external party, that officially ends a state of war between two or more parties. It usually includes terms related to a ceasefire, territorial settlements, disarmament, compensation, and similar issues.

On the other hand, a Normalization Agreement establishes or restores full diplomatic relations between states, usually after a period of hostility or non-recognition. This agreement focuses on enhancing economic, trade, tourism cooperation, and cultural exchanges, without necessarily addressing war, non-aggression, or military conflicts.

Under International Law:
A peace treaty is a legally binding agreement that ends hostilities between warring states. Violating such a treaty could lead to renewed conflict or international legal action at the International Court of Justice. It falls under international humanitarian law and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969).

A normalization agreement, meanwhile, improves relations between previously hostile or diplomatically unconnected states. It is governed by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (which emphasizes good faith implementation) and customary international law, which requires respect for state sovereignty and mutual diplomatic recognition.

2. Politically:
Discussing normalization in Lebanon seems out of context for two main reasons:
A-  Arab states that have signed normalization agreements with Israel did not have occupied territories and were not front-line states directly involved in conflict. Therefore, they could move directly to normalization without first signing peace treaties. However, in Lebanon, Israel must withdraw from Lebanese-occupied territories—whether these were occupied after the last war or prior—respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and cease violations of its airspace and territory.
Israel is unlikely to agree to this without imposing political conditions that could interfere with Lebanon’s internal affairs.

B - Lebanon aligns with the broader Arab position and will not engage in peace or normalization independently of Arab consensus, as it has no strategic interest in doing so.
Saudi Arabia has set the Arab benchmark for normalization: the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. All Arab nations are expected to adhere to this position, which Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun reaffirmed in his speech in Cairo.
However, Israel refuses to grant even minimal rights to the Palestinians, let alone support the establishment of a Palestinian state.