Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, ahead of direct talks between officials from Israel and Lebanon in Washington on Tuesday, that his country wants “peace and normalization” of relations with Lebanon. Saar stated during a press conference: “We want to reach peace and normalization with the state of Lebanon,” noting that there are no major differences between Israel and Lebanon, and stressing that the problem is Hezbollah. He added that Washington's negotiations are based first on Lebanon's declaration of its desire to reduce the escalation, and its confirmation that Hezbollah's activities are in violation of the law. Lebanon and Israel are holding ambassadorial-level discussions at the US State Department headquarters in Washington on Tuesday, the first at this level in decades.