National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Thursday morning slammed the ceasefire agreement announced overnight by the US, Israel, and Lebanon.
“The ceasefire with Lebanon is a grave mistake and a fantasy dreamed up by advisers who are dragging the prime minister into mistaken decisions,” he said.
Ben Gvir emphasized that the terms of the deal, which include the evacuation of all Hezbollah terrorists from areas south of the Litani River, will not be implemented, noting that “the Lebanese Army has no way of forcing them to evacuate.”
“The state of Lebanon is a partner of Hezbollah. Hezbollah representatives serve as ministers in the government, and relatives of Hezbollah terrorists serve in the Lebanese Army.”
He warned that the practical result of the “ceasefire” will be the opposite of what Israel seeks to achieve.
“In practice, Hezbollah will only grow stronger, and instead of defeating it, Israel is accepting its very existence,” he said.
“The prime minister should have told President Trump: We love and appreciate you, but Israel is a sovereign and independent state and cannot accept the strengthening of a terrorist organization or its continued existence on our border.”
“There are moments when you have to know how to say ‘no’ even to the president of the United States. If we fail to do so, we’ll face Hezbollah next time when it is far stronger and more dangerous.”
Ben Gvir also called on Netanyahu to convene a formal cabinet discussion on the ceasefire agreement.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)