Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in an interview published Wednesday that Israel should not withdraw from Lebanon, calling the chance of a genuine Israel-Lebanon deal 'nearly zero' as long as Iran manages Hezbollah's negotiations with the U.S. Graham also dismissed the idea that the Lebanese army can disarm Hezbollah alone, saying it is 'very weak' and that the path to dismantling the group begins with containing Iran.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a senior Republican and close ally of President Trump, gave a blunt assessment of the Israel-Lebanon diplomatic track in an interview with the Israeli newspaper 'Haderech' published Wednesday. Graham stated that Israel should not withdraw from Lebanon, arguing that the likelihood of a genuine agreement between Israel and Lebanon is 'nearly zero' as long as Iran is managing Hezbollah's negotiations with Washington. He said he will adopt a very hard line against any deal that would restrict Israel's freedom of action against Hezbollah.
Graham also poured cold water on the central premise of the current U.S.-backed diplomatic effort — that the Lebanese Armed Forces can disarm Hezbollah. 'The Lebanese army is unable to destroy Hezbollah on its own. They cannot. They are very weak,' he said. 'The idea that the Lebanese army will succeed in disarming Hezbollah is simply unrealistic.' Instead, he argued that the path to dismantling the Iranian-backed militia begins with containing Iran itself.
The full interview is scheduled to be published Friday in the Haderech magazine. Graham's remarks add to a growing chorus of bipartisan U.S. skepticism about the feasibility of Hezbollah's disarmament, as previously reported by The Zioneer — including similar assessments from Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and analysis questioning the Lebanese army's capacity to act independently of Hezbollah.
- StrongPresident Herzog: Israel-Lebanon talks resume Monday in Washington; Hezbollah disarmament must be part of any deal
- DevelopingUS official: Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon not a condition for Iran deal, self-defense right retained
- DevelopingFormer state attorney Filber: Israel will not agree to withdraw from Lebanon, even at risk of confrontation with US
- DevelopingSenator Graham questions US restraint as Hezbollah attacks force evacuations in northern Israel
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