National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared Monday that Israel must continue its military campaign in southern Lebanon regardless of pressure from Washington, arguing that the country’s overriding obligation is to protect its own citizens and borders.

Speaking during a faction meeting and responding to a question from Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Ben Gvir stressed that Israel must make decisions based on its security needs rather than foreign expectations.

“We are an independent country, and we cannot stop demolishing houses in southern Lebanon,” Ben Gvir stated.

He called on the government “to continue acting even against the position of the United States,” adding, “We cannot stop preventing the population in southern Lebanon from returning. It endangers our soldiers; it endangers our residents. We must not allow them to return to the borders, to return to the status quo before October 7.”

The minister argued that Israel should maintain control of strategic areas in southern Lebanon even if doing so creates friction with the Trump administration.

“We must retain control of the territory, even against the wishes of President Trump,” he said.

Ben Gvir emphasized that existential security threats require Israel to act independently and decisively.

“Faced with existential threats, we must not act out of external pressure, but rather out of our national conscience. Just as an individual is obligated to do whatever it takes to defend their home, the State of Israel is obligated to do what Israel must do.”

Warning against what he described as failed policies of restraint, Ben Gvir said Israel cannot afford to repeat past mistakes.

“History teaches us a painful lesson: every time we chose the path of containment, deferred a decisive outcome, or relied on a false quiet, we paid the heaviest price. Let me be unequivocally clear: the era of endless rounds of fighting is over. Not in Gaza, not in Lebanon, and not against Iran. I demand that the Prime Minister allow IDF soldiers to continue the critical work of demolishing homes, eliminating Hezbollah terrorists, and keeping residents away from their houses – we must not operate according to understandings reached between Trump and Khamenei,” Ben Gvir added.

He further warned that any future attacks from Lebanon must be met with overwhelming force.

“any fragment of a drone or missile launched at us will demand a crushing response, to the point of setting the Dahieh ablaze. Firing at the State of Israel is tantamount to a declaration of war, and in war, as in war, you strive for a decisive victory. We have proven through concrete action that when a security window opens, our moral duty is to see the mission through to the very end. Stopping halfway is neither a strategy nor an option. We deeply cherish and appreciate our profound friendship with the United States and President Trump’s standing with Israel. However, the direct and exclusive responsibility for Israel’s security rests solely on the Israeli government. Israel must maintain total freedom of military action at all times and in all places; we will not accept a reality where terrorist organizations retain capabilities that threaten our sovereignty and the lives of our citizens.”

Concluding his remarks, Ben Gvir addressed Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu directly, urging him to stand firm and prioritize long-term security over temporary diplomatic arrangements.

“Our dear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: it is in moments like these that leadership is tested. History will never remember those who sought a temporary, fake quiet, but only those who dared to secure the safety of the people and the state. The People of Israel returned to their land to live in security, freedom, and pride, and that is exactly how I expect you to continue to act.”

{Matzav.com}