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On Friday, Israeli and Lebanese military leaders will be meeting at the Pentagon. The US and Israel share the same goal, ending Hezbollah’s reign of terror across Lebanon and northern Israel. Unfortunately, the powers that be in Beirut remain cowed by and/or sympathetic to the terrorists they’ve coddled for decades.
Let’s dive in.
The Goal
The word of the week is…. De-Hezbollahfication; noun (dee-HEZ-buh-lah-fi-KAY-shun): the systematic removal of Hezbollah personnel, patronage networks, weapons, and institutional influence from Lebanon’s government, security services, military, and civil society.
That’s what needs to happen, and, coincidentally, that’s Israel (and CUFI’s) position on the matter. Way back in April, Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear what he wanted to see for his (and the Lebanese) people, “we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations."
After three rounds of largely politically oriented negotiations, and as ceasefires were announced, the war in Lebanon has continued.
The Status
While the Israeli Air Force has continued to strike Hezbollah-linked targets throughout southern Lebanon, Gideon’s ground troops are holding key areas inside the country and advancing in others. This effort has cost 23 IDF soldiers, and one civilian contractor, their lives.
Hezbollah retains the ability to strike both Israeli soldiers operating in Lebanon, as well as civilians living in northern Israel. They refuse to disarm and are threatening significant violence if the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) comes for Hezbollah’s weapons.
Speaking of the Lebanese army…. Where do they stand? Well, “Lebanon is failing and the LAF is compromised.” Those words are as true today (if not more so) as they were five years ago when the CUFI Action Fund’s Boris Zilberman published them in Newsweek.
Finally, Beirut’s perspective on the status today is, actually, not that different than it’s been for years: Hezbollah – an armed state within a state - has driven the country into another war. And we would be remiss if we failed to note that Hezbollah did not have to react to the American and Israeli strikes on Iran; they chose this. They chose death.
Getting to Great
How does one make Lebanon great? How do we get to a pluralistic Lebanon, which welcomes people of all faiths, has peace with its neighbors and is not known more for the terrorist organization it houses than the magnificent cedars adorning its landscape and flag?
First, let Israel do its thing. Look, the Israelis know how to cripple this type of terrorist; they did it in Gaza. We understand this will incense the woke-left/right and their friends in Tehran. But…. Who cares?
Second, only Israeli intelligence knows who can be trusted and who cannot within the ranks of the LAF. Washington should demand known Hezbollah sympathizers be expelled from every element of the LAF and sanction leaders affiliated with Amal, Hezbollah’s political ally in Beirut.
Third, the US should demand Beirut provide a binding timeline for Hezbollah’s disarmament built upon Israel’s three-zone security framework.
Finally, saving the best (and most obvious) for last… Future aid to the LAF must be contingent upon verifiable gains against Hezbollah. Yes, the Lebanese army is going to have to do some fighting; after all, that is the purpose of al those weapons the U.S. provided them.
In both the Iranian and Lebanese contexts, ultimately, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have taken a very October 8th approach: no more forever negotiations (read: lukewarm wars of attrition). Simply put, dyed-in-the-wool enemies will be dispatched, all others are free to surrender.
Sincerely,
The CUFI Action Fund Team |
