On April 7, as part of its ongoing engagement with the Biden-Harris Administration on US-Lebanon policy, the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL) and its Vice Chair Nijad Fares hosted White House Senior Advisor Amos Hochstein for a reception and town hall with the Lebanese-American community to discuss U.S. efforts to deescalate tensions between Hezbollah and Israel and restore calm in the region.
During the event, Hochstein briefed the local community on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to stabilize the border and forge peace talks. Topics of discussion included the safe return of tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli citizens who were displaced by conflict, settling land boundaries between the two countries, engaging the international community in the economic development of southern Lebanon, and boosting support and funding to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to deploy with more strength south of the Litani. The Lebanese-American community in Houston expressed its gratitude and appreciation to Hochstein for having successfully facilitated a historic agreement between Israel and Lebanon on maritime borders, and his continued leadership in promoting peace and stability in the region.
The Lebanese-American community stressed the importance of safeguarding Lebanon and avoiding a war which would have catastrophic consequences for a country already reeling from compounding political, economic, and social crises.
