Removing Hezbollah from Lebanon a Must

Israel Does Not See Lebanon as an Enemy

Why is Israel so concerned about her northern neighbor, Lebanon?

And why, in the midst of a war against Iran, is Lebanon such a top concern for Israel and United States and even of Iran?

The answer is multi-faceted.

It spans military might, religious dogma and political power.

It's not about Lebanon. It's about Hezbollah – the Shiite terrorist organization, the Iranian proxy, that has taken hold of much of Lebanon and, in essence, rules the Lebanese Republic.

And that's why, in almost every conversation, every negotiation, every round of talks with Iran, representatives of Iran tie their demands for an end to the conflict to the end of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.

Certainly, the success of the joint U.S./Israel pounding of Iran is the removal of the former Persian nation's nuclear threat, even if only temporarily.

Know clearly and fully that the Iranians have not dropped their nuclear aspirations.

But know just as clearly that another large success for Israel would be the defanging, the demilitarizing, the dismantling of Hezbollah and the return safety to Israel's northern residents of Israel.

Iran is well aware of Israel’s strategy for success - as is the United States.

They understand that Israel used the joint US/Israel bombardment of Iran as a perfect cover to achieve their ends against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

For Israel, removing the Hezbollah front in Lebanon is almost as essential as destroying the Iranian nuclear threat.

Israel's objective is not just to reduce Hezbollah's striking capabilities by hitting their rockets, drones, missile depots and centers, targeting their leadership, eliminating command and control centers rebuilt and re-established since the now famous "Operation Grim Beeper," of Sept. 17-18, 2024, Israel's objective is to remove Hezbollah.

This isn't only for Israel's safety and security, but for the sake of the Lebanese, who, too, live in fear of Hezbollah.

It will bring stability to the region.

That's why the United States insists that there is no link between a U.S./Israeli ceasefire with Iran and an Israeli ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is a destabilizing force in Lebanon.

Neither Lebanese leadership nor the Lebanese military can control this armed, Iranian sponsored, terrorist army.

As a result, the border between Israel and Lebanon is not quiet. Israel has been subject to an intolerable situation, a constant barrage of missiles, drones and cross border attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hezbollah's rocket launchings and drone attacks have forced Israeli citizens residing in the north of Israel to "live" in bomb shelters.

Hezbollah, operating out of Lebanon, has destabilized the entire region.

Hezbollah is directly sponsored by Iran – and proudly so.

Lebanon has become fertile ground for Iran's far-reaching interests.

First is to threaten Israel, second is to have a Shiite stronghold outside Iran.

Having another Shiite country genuflecting to Iran would be a huge success, a step forward in their goal of becoming leader of the Islamic world.

In the interests of regional stability, world peace and cohesiveness, the United States and Israel want to take Lebanon out of the hands of Hezbollah/Iran and hand it back to the sovereign state of Lebanon and its people. Israel differentiates between Lebanon and Hezbollah.

Israel does not see Lebanon as an enemy.

Israel sees Lebanon as a weak state that has permitted Iran, through Hezbollah, to control large swaths of their country. Other than a few minor border definitions, there is little dispute between the neighboring countries.

Hezbollah and Iran are the problem.

For decades international law and even United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, passed in 2006, clearly proclaimed that only the Lebanese army and the UN may be armed in Lebanon and the area in Southern Lebanon below the Litani River must be demilitarized of non-state armed groups.

That area is about 30 kilometers, or 18 miles from Israel’s northern border to the river. It is a natural buffer zone.

There have been rumblings of putting Israeli civilian settlers into that buffer zone as an effective method of keeping the region secure.

Despite the risk and obvious dangers, Israelis will fight to secure and protect their homes and families.

Borders are not based on the locations of military bases, they are based on where a community is established.

Defanging Hezbollah defangs Iran in the area and returns Lebanon to the Lebanese.

It stabilizes the region and the border.

It transforms an active, hot, border threat to Israel into a quiet border allowing for a readjustment of Israel’s national defenses.

Israel and the US need to be involved in ousting Hezbollah. In many ways and in many areas, Hezbollah is stronger than the Lebanese army.

Not only are they a well-armed terrorist army, Hezbollah is also a political party.

They have 15 out of 128 seats, or 12%, in the Lebanese parliament.

They control a block of fundamentalists Muslims that reaches 60 seats out of the 128.

That amounts to real power.

When it comes to Hezbollah, as with Iran, there is no such thing as a partial disarmament or a partial ceasefire or a partial cessation of uranium enrichment.

For them, it's all or nothing.

Micah D. Halpern is a columnist, social, political and foreign affairs commentator. Follow him on Twitter @MicahHalpern. Read more Micah Halpern Insider articles — Click Here Now.