National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday called for Israeli operations in southern Lebanon to continue even in the event of a dispute with the United States, emphasizing that Israel's first and foremost commitment is to its own security. Responding to a question from Arutz Sheva-Israel National News during a press briefing at his faction meeting, Ben Gvir stated, "We are an independent country, and we cannot stop demolishing houses in southern Lebanon."
He urged 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." Ben Gvir added that Israel must maintain its hold on the territory even if it conflicts with the position of the US administration. "We must retain control of the territory, even against the wishes of President Trump," he said.
Ben Gvir continued, "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. "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. (Read More)
