Israel at War Watch: Conversation With Benjamin Netanyahu – Hezbollah Will NOT Disarm
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former Prime Minister and leader of Israel’s opposition Likud party, gestures during his interview with the Associated Press in London, Tuesday Aug. 8, 2006. Netanyahu said Europe must accept unpleasant realities in the Middle East, arguing Tuesday that Israel is merely the first target in a worldwide terrorism campaign waged by Islamic militants.
Powerline: Half hour with Benjamin Netanyahu
Netanyahu stated categorically that Hezbollah will not disarm itself and that the forces sent into south Lebanon under the cease-fire agreement will not disarm Hezbollah. In this connection, I asked the former Prime Minister whether he viewed Israel as bound by the cease-fire agreement to wait for the next attack (at the time of Hezbollah’s and Iran’s choosing) or whether Israel is free to act if (when) it finds that Hezbollah has not disarmed and that the international force and the Lebanese army are not taking effective action. Netanyahu replied that the cease-fire agreement permits Israel to take defensive action to protect itself. He acknowledged that there can be much debate over what that means, but (as I understood his answer) the concept does not necessarily preclude preemptive action.
The cease-fire looks short-lived…..