Israeli President Isaac Herzog, speaking in Arabic during a tour of northern Israel, called on Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese people to rise up against Hezbollah and Iran, according to The Jerusalem Post. Herzog said he was extending a hand of peace. The remark follows his earlier peace overture today and comes amid Lebanon's ongoing political vacuum, though President Aoun was elected in January 2025.
President Isaac Herzog directly called on the people of Lebanon and their president, Joseph Aoun, to rise up against Hezbollah and Iran during a tour of the north on Tuesday. Speaking in Arabic, Herzog said he extends a hand of peace to Aoun and the Lebanese people, according to The Jerusalem Post. This marks an escalation in tone from Herzog’s earlier message today, when he offered a peace proposal without specifically naming the addressee. In that statement, reported by Israeli media, he addressed a "President of Lebanon” — a title then vacant — and called for denouncing Hezbollah and Iran. Joseph Aoun was elected president in January 2025, ending a prolonged power vacuum, and has since faced pressure from the Iran-backed group. As The Zioneer reported on June 10, Herzog's first statement left the presidency's identity unclear. The midday update provides a named target for the call to action, directed at Aoun and the broader Lebanese public. No response from the Lebanese presidency or Hezbollah has been reported as of publication.
5 developments
- DevelopingHerzog says in Arabic: if you make peace and dismantle Hezbollah, I may consider pardoning Netanyahu
- DevelopingLebanese president's anti-Hezbollah speech called historic by analyst
- DevelopingLebanon's President says Lebanese people are tired of war with Hezbollah, Israel
- ConfirmedNetanyahu addresses Lebanese people: 'Israel is not at war with you, but with Hezbollah'
Source and signal
- Internal intake