Peretz: Won't allow Hizbullah to return to border
Defense minister tells Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, 'Lebanon paying price for small mindedness.' During defense committee meeting, most support IDF offensive but MK Ran Cohen says 'defense minister is leading us to the wrong place'
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Thursday morning that "we consider Lebanon responsible for terror activity originating in its sovereign territory. It is a derivate of Lebanese hesitance to act. Lebanon is paying the price for its small-mindedness, which allowed Hizbullah to behave as if it is the one in charge of the country."
According to the defense minister, "This operation is intended to prevent unequivocally Hizbullah's access to the northern border. Lebanese forces are the ones who need to sit there and we expect them to deploy on Israel's border. We will not allow Hizbullah to sit our border."
Peretz spoke of the recent katyusha attacks on the north, as well as a threat of attacks deeper in the Israeli homefront and said, "terror organizations base their preparations on the supposed weakness of the Israel homefront. As such, they made a decision to create the last possible provocation. I, along with my fellow Knesset members, turn to the citizens of Israel and emphasize that the stamina of residents of the north and of Israeli civilians, in general, will be a critical aspect of the developing relationship between Israel and terror organizations from now on."
He added: "I would like to take this opportunity to send my support for IDF forces on the northern border and also in Gaza, where there have been important changes in our ability to prevent Qassam launchings and to meet our objectives in the south. I would like to extend my condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and the Israeli woman, killed in Nahariya, and to send my support to the families of the kidnapped. I would like to say to the Shalit family: we have no intention of forgetting Gilad and we will keep operating to secure his release."
"In the upcoming hours and days, all of Israel will stand behind our forces in the field. This would have happened sooner or later. This is a time that tests us but also gives us an opportunity to change variables in the equation regarding Israel and the terror organizations," he said.
The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee met in Peretz's office in Tel Aviv, at the request of committee chairman, Tzachi Hanegbi (Kadima), who is currently abroad. The meeting was headed by a member of the committee, MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima).
Ran Cohen: Operation too wide in scope
Most of the committee members expressed support for the government's actions against Lebanon and its intent to prevent Hizbullah's redeployment on the Israel-Lebanon border.
In contrast, MK Ran Cohen (Meretz) was critical of the operation: "We lost our deterrent force because of an IDF failure. We need to get it back, but the government needlessly widened the scope of the war in Lebanon, and this widening could complicate matters for us. We have to focus on securing the release of the kidnapped soldiers and the recreation of IDF deterrent force against kidnappings. I don't understand how bombing the airport in Beirut accomplishes these objectives. The defense minister is leading us, in my humble opinion, to the wrong place."
"I strongly advise against getting stuck in the Lebanese mud. I hope that the prime minister and defense minister are aware of this and understand that the Israeli public is infinitely weary of sinking in this mud," he said. Peretz responded to Cohen and said that "release of Palestinian prisoners can occur only within the confines of a comprehensive political arrangement."
Peretz briefed committee members on the imminent IDF operations: In the first stage, operations against Hizbullah on the border and, at later stages, activities targeting Hizbullah infrastructure and the Lebanese government. "The IAF can make Hizbullah's presence in southern Lebanon impossible," said one committee member.
Meretz faction chairman, MK Yossi Beilin, expressed support for the military operation but asked the defense minister to remain aware of the operation's specific objectives. "An attack on Hizbullah is justified but, in the end, we will have to come to an understanding, including one with Syria. Release of prisoners also needs to be one of the outcomes of these understandings," he continued.
Eitam: Peretz could be next strategic surprise for Hizbullah
MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud) advocated an attack on Lebanese ports, in addition to Thursday morning's attack on the airport in Beirut, which he believed would prevent the transfer of provisions and armaments to Hizbullah via the Mediterranean, as well increasing the pressure on the Lebanese government. "This is the most effective way to exact a high price from the Lebanese government and to improve Israeli deterrence," Steinitz said.
Head of the opposition, MK Benjamin Netanyahu, said that he strongly supports the Israeli government's current policy.
MK Effie Eitam (NU-NRP) praised Peretz and said that "the minister of defense could be the next strategic surprise for Nasrallah. It seems that when a defense minister who is a man of peace call for war, the whole nation is behind him," he added.
