Hagar Chemalis LIPA Aims to Catalyse First Lebanon-Israel Talks Since 1983 Amid Iran-US Deal

Hagar Hajjar Chemali, a former senior U.S. national‑security official, has launched the Lebanon‑Israel Peace Alliance (LIPA) to push for a formal agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv. The initiative follows the first direct talks between the two governments since the 1983 May 17 Agreement, a milestone that came after a 2024 ceasefire that ended the latest Hezbollah‑Israel conflict.

Chemali, 44, grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, after her Lebanese parents fled the civil war in 1981. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Barnard College and a master’s from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Her government career began in 2006 in the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, where she worked under former Treasury assistant Daniel Glaser. She later served in the Obama administration’s National Security Council as director for Lebanon and Syria.

In April 2024 Chemali announced LIPA, describing it as a "vessel for advocacy" that brings together Israeli, Lebanese and American experts. The group has worked behind the scenes since early 2024, after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire that halted hostilities with Hezbollah. According to reports, the ceasefire created a window for diplomatic engagement that the "peace crew" seized.

Chemali’s mixed heritage—half Jewish, half Christian—has been cited by colleagues as an asset. "She’s someone who can actually speak to everyone," said senior fellow Hanin Ghaddar of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Chemali has said she does not let her faith guide her policy work, but she has publicly identified as a "Lebanese Zionist" and has highlighted her Jewish roots in interviews.

The U.S. and Iran announced a ceasefire‑linked deal on 15 June 2026, a development that could complicate LIPA’s work. Iranian state media said Lebanon would be part of the agreement, and officials warned that the U.S.–Iran negotiations might divert attention from the Lebanon‑Israel file. Chemali has responded by intensifying lobbying efforts in Washington, meeting members of both the House and Senate and regularly speaking with State and Treasury officials.

Key to the talks is the status of Hezbollah, the Iran‑backed militia that controls a large portion of southern Lebanon. The Lebanese army has agreed to create "pilot zones" where it will enforce a ban on Hezbollah activity, a concession that could signal a shift in the militia’s influence. Israeli and Lebanese officials have agreed to a series of parallel military talks to address the militia’s armaments.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro praised the negotiations as a "tremendous opportunity" for Lebanon, noting that a peace agreement could free the country from Hezbollah’s "handcuffs." Shapiro, who hired Chemali for a role in the Obama White House, said he was encouraged by LIPA’s advocacy.

Chemali’s strategy includes discreet dinners between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington, a tactic she says helps bypass Lebanon’s anti‑normalization laws that punish citizens who meet Israelis. She also pushes for U.S. sanctions on Hezbollah and for the repeal of Lebanese laws that criminalise contact with Israel.

The latest joint statement from Lebanon, Israel and the U.S. announced on 28 May 2026 confirmed that the Lebanese army would enforce pilot zones and that the parties would meet again later that month. The talks remain fragile, with ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, but the window for a formal agreement has opened.

In sum, Chemali’s LIPA is a private, non‑governmental effort that seeks to leverage her unique background and U.S. policy experience to keep the Lebanon‑Israel peace process on the diplomatic agenda, even as regional dynamics shift with the new U.S.–Iran deal.