Cairo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Sang-hoon = With the Lebanon issue emerging as a key issue in the follow-up negotiations to end the war between the United States and Iran, Israel's representative far-right minister stated that there will be no withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon without the disarmament of Hezbollah.
In an interview with the conservative newspaper Markor Rishon on the 20th (local time), Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a representative far-right figure within Israel's right-wing coalition government, declared that troops will be stationed in the safe zone secured in Lebanon for several years and that they will not withdraw even if there is an explicit request from the United States to withdraw.
When asked how many years Israeli troops will be stationed in Lebanon, he replied, "Yes, this is what I am saying as a party currently negotiating the management of the defense budget for the next 10 years."
Asked whether Israel should build military posts and entire bases in the safe zone, he said: "We have to build everything completely. We will stay there until Hezbollah disarms and even after that because we need a defensible border."
He also added that the United States will not back down even if it explicitly demands the withdrawal of Israeli troops stationed in Lebanon.
“The United States understands our red line, so we will not make such withdrawal demands,” Smotrich said. “We will not move even one millimeter until Hezbollah disarms. This is the position of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and me, and we have a firm intention to stick to it,” he said.
He also pointed out that the current border established by the Sykes-Picot Agreement signed in 1916 was illogical and did not take into account topographical characteristics.
The Sykes-Picot Agreement was a secret agreement between Britain and France to divide the Middle East territory controlled by the Ottoman Empire in 1916 during World War I.
According to this agreement, current southern Iraq (Basra and Baghdad governorates), Jordan, Palestine, and port cities became British territories, while current Syria, Lebanon, southeastern Turkiye, and northern Iraq (Mosul governorates) became French territories.
However, because this is a border drawn in a straight line, completely ignoring the historical background between ethnic groups, sects, and tribes, it is pointed out that it continues to be a major cause of civil wars and inter-state conflicts in the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, to this day.
Hezbollah and Iran, which supports the group, argue that the Israeli army should take over its forces in Lebanon based on the 'end of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon', as stipulated in Article 1 of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United States.
On the other hand, Israel maintains its position that it is not bound by the previous memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, and that it will leave troops in southern Lebanon as long as necessary to eliminate the security threat posed by Hezbollah, and that it can counterattack if its troops are attacked.
The vicious cycle of Israel and Hezbollah attacking each other under the pretext of violating the ceasefire has continued even after the conclusion of the MOU.
Meanwhile, the Lebanon issue is expected to be the top priority at the follow-up meeting between the United States and Iran to sign a memorandum of understanding on the end of the war, scheduled to be held in Switzerland on the 21st (local time).
