FIDF LIVE BRIEFING: Gadi Ezra, Former Director, Israel's National Public Diplomacy Unit - June 28, 2026

Lara Krinsky opens the briefing by framing the last two weeks as a major diplomatic pivot, with military pressure giving way to negotiations involving Iran, Lebanon, the U.S., and regional intermediaries. Gadi Ezra explains that two parallel tracks are now shaping the region: U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and stabilizing the broader conflict, and Israel-Lebanon talks under U.S. auspices focused on southern Lebanon and Hezbollah’s disarmament. He warns that Iran is trying to tie Lebanon into the broader U.S.-Iran framework so it can preserve influence through Hezbollah, cast Israel as the obstacle to peace, and tell its own public that it still controls the region. Ezra argues Israel must not sit back and let others design the “day after,” pointing to Gaza as a cautionary example where Qatar gained influence because Israel failed to shape the diplomatic architecture early enough. He says Israel needs to take initiative by putting forward a concrete plan for Lebanon that combines IDF enforcement, Lebanese legal and political action, and American-led economic rehabilitation. The briefing closes with Ezra stressing that the information and diplomatic battles are now as critical as the military ones, and that Israel’s soldiers ultimately carry the consequences of every negotiation, compromise, and strategic decision.