Lebanon’s top diplomat rules out normalization with Israel, rejects Hezbollah’s armed presence and Iranian support, and accuses the terror group of trying to blackmail the government while waiting for a shift in US policy
Lebanon’s foreign minister, Youssef Rajji, said Tuesday that there is no chance of amending the law banning normalization with Israel, stressing that Lebanon is “officially at war” with the Jewish state.
“There is no possibility of correcting the law that prohibits normalization with Israel. We are formally in a state of war,” Rajji said, speaking amid denials in Lebanon that a Hezbollah terrorist killed in an Israeli strike this week also served in Lebanese army intelligence.
At the same time, Rajji said Lebanon also faces a serious problem with Iran. “Iran is not our enemy, but we have deep issues with it,” he said. “The Iranians are directly involved in arming and financing an illegal armed organization in our country.”
Rajji said Lebanon seeks peace with all countries, provided its sovereignty is respected and there is no interference in its internal affairs. He added that it is premature to speak about rebuilding the country because the war has not yet ended.
Addressing the issue of disarming Hezbollah, Rajji said Lebanon wants to see it happen. “The security of the state requires dismantling Hezbollah’s security and military arms, not just disarmament,” he said. “The Lebanese people want Hezbollah to be disarmed.”
However, he acknowledged that the Lebanese army faces a difficult task in confronting the group. “Hezbollah’s leaders say there will be no disarmament north of the Litani River,” Rajji said. “Hezbollah uses the confrontation with Israel as an excuse to keep its weapons and preserve its future dominance in the country.”
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