Serdar Dincel
22 April 2026•Update: 23 April 2026
- He also represented Lebanon in Naqoura meetings in 2015 and in December 2025, placing him strong candidate for Thursday's talks with Israel
Simon Karam, a former diplomat, will lead Lebanon's upcoming US-mediated direct talks with Israel aimed at ending hostilities.
The negotiations follow a first round of talks held on April 15 -- the first such direct engagement between the two sides since 1993.
So who is this diplomat whose name keeps resurfacing at critical junctures in Lebanon’s history?
Personal life, career in public service
Born in 1950 in the southern Lebanese town of Jezzine, Karam belongs to the Maronite Christian community.
He graduated from Beirut’s Saint Joseph University with a law degree.
He started his public service career in 1990 when he was appointed governor of the eastern Beqaa governorate.
Just two years later, Karam was named Lebanese ambassador to Washington during the term of then-US President George H. W. Bush.
The role cemented him as a valuable link between Beirut and Washington, according to An-Nahar newspaper.
He held this position for a brief period, leaving his post in August 1993 amid institutional disagreements within Lebanese diplomacy.
Karam then returned to Lebanon and resumed his career as a lawyer.
Intellectual and political activism
In the early 2000s, Karam became a prominent voice in political and intellectual circles of Lebanon.
He was a member of the Qurnat Shahwan Gathering, a political framework formed by several Christian politicians in April 2001.
He also attended national dialogues that preceded the 2005 Independence Uprising, also known as the Cedar Revolution.
The Lebanese diplomat is known for his firm opposition to then-Syrian influence in Lebanon and to weapons outside the state’s control, including those held by the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Karam also aligned with the March 14 Movement, which contributed to the eventual withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon in April 2005.
Naqoura meetings
In December 2025, Karam also represented Beirut in talks involving civilian representatives with Israel. He was appointed to represent a civilian and diplomatic component within a framework that had previously been strictly military.
The diplomat’s inclusion sparked anger among some Lebanese political figures, who regarded it as a concession.
Karam also headed Lebanese delegations in Naqoura trilateral (Lebanon, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon) military talks, according to Asharq News.
On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun named Karam as head of the delegation to conduct upcoming talks with Tel Aviv. Aoun added that the talks with Tel Aviv “are separate from any other negotiations.”
“Lebanon faces two options: either the continuation of war or negotiation to end this war and achieve sustainable stability.
“I have chosen negotiation, and I am full of hope that we will be able to save Lebanon,” he said.
A senior Lebanese official also told Anadolu on Monday that the meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington on Thursday, with the US Department of State also confirming it.
Given his track record of diplomatic engagements and his sovereigntist profile, Karam’s involvement in the process was interpreted by some as Lebanon’s willingness for stronger ties with the US and for the success of the negotiations.
Since March 2, Israel has carried out an offensive in Lebanon that has killed around 2,300 people, wounded more than 7,500, and displaced over 1 million, according to official figures.
US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon as of midnight Friday, though the Lebanese army reported Israeli violations of the truce.
Whether Thursday’s talks will lead to a breakthrough remains to be seen.
