Peretz: Lebanon change began with 2006 war
Former defense minister says that 'the way in which the State of Israel responded three years ago made it clear to the people of Lebanon that Hizbullah was leading them to ruin'
"The election results in Lebanon mark the culmination of a process that matured with the breakout of the Second Lebanon War," Labor MK Amir Peretz, who was defense minister during the 2006 war, told Ynet on Monday.
Peretz was talking to Ynet following the release of initial election results in Beirut that predicted a win for the pro-Western coalition.
"It's obvious that the way in which the State of Israel responded three years ago made it clear to the people of Lebanon that Hizbullah was leading them to ruin and to a strategic defeat in front of the whole world.
"However, we must look at the results with the necessary humility. This is a radical change, because the voices that have triumphed in the elections are the ones that openly support ending the conflict and UN Resolution 1701," he added.
Commenting on the possibility that the election outcome might bring about a change in Lebanon's attitude towards Israel, Peretz said he believed this was still far from happening.
"Lebanon is still under Syrian and Iranian control. In the initial stage we should hope that the openness to the Western world, the US and Europe increases, and that the free world backs this up with both diplomatic and financial support. This could lead to a better relationship with Israel."
The former defense minister stressed that Israel must not assume that peace has been reached on the northern border. "For the time being we should settle for the change that has taken place, be careful rather than arrogant, not change our policy overnight or think we should consider political involvement in Lebanon.
"We need to reiterate our willingness to be constructive towards Lebanon, as long as the peace in the north is maintained," he concluded.
