The approach to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel differs from the approach to a potential meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The former can be strongly defended based on considerations that can refute any initial or practical rejection of it, given the erosion of many taboos over the years. However, a meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu, as described in the US Embassy statement in Beirut, presents an opportunity for Lebanon to achieve all its demands regarding sovereignty, the return of its land, and the imposition of state authority.