Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Wednesday that Israel has no major disputes with Lebanon, framing Hezbollah as the primary obstacle to peace ahead of renewed negotiations between the two countries.
“We have no major disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor disputes regarding the border line that can be resolved. The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is different: Hezbollah,” Sa’ar said at a reception hosted by President Isaac Herzog for the diplomatic corps.
Negotiations between Jerusalem and Beirut began last week in a meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors in Washington at the U.S. State Department. The talks lasted about two hours, after which Israel, Lebanon and the United States issued a joint statement announcing the launch of a direct negotiation process at a mutually agreed time and format.
Referring to the talks, Sa’ar said: “We made a historic decision to hold direct negotiations with Lebanon after more than 40 years. Unfortunately, Lebanon is a failed state, effectively controlled by Iran through Hezbollah. This leads to one conclusion: Hezbollah is a shared enemy of Israel and Lebanon.”
“Just as it threatens Israel’s security, it undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and endangers its future,” he added.
Sa’ar said direct dialogue between the sides would resume on Thursday in Washington and called on the Lebanese government to cooperate against Hezbollah.
“I call from here to the government of Lebanon: let us cooperate against the terrorist entity Hezbollah has established on your territory. This cooperation is required for you even more than for us,” he said. “It requires moral clarity and the courage to take risks, but there is no real alternative if we are to secure a future of peace, and for you, a future of sovereignty, independence and freedom from Iranian control.”
“Israel has always sought peace, and still does, but real peace is not based on illusions or on abandoning security. It is based on strength, strategic patience and the ability to confront those who oppose peace,” Sa’ar said.
Addressing foreign diplomats, he added: “Israel’s ‘unforgivable sin’ is that it refuses to be destroyed by fanatical jihadists. It is strong, and we have no choice but to remain strong, because if we are not strong, we will not exist.”
President Herzog said at the event: “These are historic days, days of tectonic shifts in the Middle East, in which decisions made by leaders and nations may shape our region for generations. The war against Iran and its many proxies is not a war of choice. It is a struggle over the future of our children.”