![Israel must continue to be able to deter Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stressed on Wednesday, speaking amid efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran's Lebanese terrorist proxy. "We need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations. And we will have to act in time, before the problem will grow," the minister told a gathering of nearly 100 foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reported. A deal to end more than a year of fighting on the northern border must be durable, Sa'ar said, saying Jerusalem “would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time." He added that a ceasefire would be an "opportunity" for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty after the Israeli military severely degraded the Iranian-backed group in recent months. He called for the Lebanese Armed Forces to be strengthened and urged the international community to invest more in the economically devastated country, which is drowning in debt following years of mismanagement and corruption. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also emphasized on Wednesday the necessity for Jerusalem to be able to act against any Hezbollah threats that may arise after a ceasefire deal is implemented. “The condition for any political settlement in Lebanon is the preservation of the intelligence capability and the preservation of the [IDF’s] right to act and protect the citizens of Israel from Hezbollah,” Katz said. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein remained in Beirut for a second day on Wednesday to discuss "technical details" of an American ceasefire proposal with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement. President Joe Biden's point man in the Land of the Cedars announced he would travel to Israel on Wednesday night, speaking after he made "additional progress" in a second meeting with Berri. Hochstein was scheduled to meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer shortly after his arrival, followed by a tête-à-tête with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day. “The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress,” Hochstein said. “So I will travel from here in a couple hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.” The Biden envoy added that he will work with the incoming Trump administration on ceasefire efforts, saying that he has kept the president-elect's transition team informed of progress. Hochstein described as "very productive" his meetings with Lebanese officials on Tuesday. “We have a real opportunity to end the conflict, and now is the moment to decide. We are committed to doing everything we can to work with Lebanon and Israel to end this conflict,” Hochstein said at a press conference on Tuesday. Hochstein also met on Tuesday with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and he was scheduled to meet with Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun. Mikati emphasized that Lebanon’s primary objectives are achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding its sovereignty. He highlighted the need to implement international resolutions and bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern part of the country. Lebanon delivered its written response to the latest U.S. proposal on Monday. According to Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Berri, the response included “comments” that were “presented in a positive atmosphere.” He did not provide details on the nature of the comments, saying only that they “affirm the precise adherence to [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,” according to Reuters. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Wednesday that the terrorist group had "read the ceasefire proposal. "We have our comments, and Nabih Berri has comments, and ours and the Lebanese government's comments are, Inshallah ['God willing'], identical," Qassem said. "We have decided not to discuss these ceasefire proposals or our comments in the media. All I will say is that Israeli is trying to obtain through negotiations what it couldn't through war." The terrorist leader vowed to “continue our efforts on the ground, whether the negotiations succeed or not. “We are confronting a savage enemy, and we will remain on the ground, no matter the cost, as we will also increase the cost for the enemy. We are facing Israeli human monsters supported by American human monsters,” threatened Qassem. Disarm and retreat Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, stipulated that Hezbollah must disarm and retreat north of the Litani River, but was never enforced. The Litani lies some 20 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Its enforcement, along with Israeli freedom of operation in Lebanon should Hezbollah violate the terms of a ceasefire agreement, are the key sticking points in the current negotiations. Netanyahu emphasized during a speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday that Israel will not allow Hezbollah to “return to the state it was in on Oct. 6, 2023. “We will be required, in order to ensure our security in the north, to systematically carry out operations—not only against Hezbollah’s attacks, which could come. Even if there is a ceasefire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not only our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening,” he said. Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanon at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group’s massacre in southern Israel. More than 60,000 residents of northern Israel remain internally displaced due to the ongoing rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon. Seventy-six people in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah cross-border rocket, missile and drone attacks since the start of the war, including 31 soldiers and six foreign citizens, according to the latest data provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, updated on Sunday. In addition, 729 people have been wounded, including 497 civilians and 232 soldiers. Of these, 29 civilians and 37 soldiers were severely injured; 63 civilians and 38 soldiers were moderately injured and 405 civilians and 157 soldiers were lightly injured. Hezbollah’s leadership has been left in tatters following a series of targeted killings by Israel, including that of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Sept. 27. This was preceded by Israeli sabotage of Hezbollah communication devices that killed 39 people and wounded more than 3,400 members of the terrorist group. Israel has been waging a devastating aerial campaign against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, including its stronghold of Dahieh south of Beirut. According to Israeli estimates, the terrorist group has lost most of its arsenal to the ongoing strikes. Then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in late October that Hezbollah had lost an estimated 80%-plus of its long-range rockets since the start of the war. Israel also continues to battle Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The terrorist group still holds 101 hostages in the Strip, 97 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7. Many of the captives are believed to be dead. Brazil summit Meanwhile, G20 leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a summit put out a joint statement on Monday calling for “comprehensive” ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. The leaders of the world’s biggest economies called for U.S. proposals to end fighting in Gaza and free the hostages, and one for Lebanon “that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.” The 13-point U.S. proposal presented to Lebanese officials on Nov. 14 includes a 60-day truce, during which Lebanon would redeploy its troops along the border. The proposal also calls for Moscow to prevent Hezbollah from resupplying itself via Syrian land routes. Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River, with the border area then being under control of the Lebanese Armed Forces, overseen by the United States and Britain. Israeli officials are emphasizing, however, that the Israel Defense Forces must retain freedom of operation in Lebanon to thwart attempts by Hezbollah to violate the agreement and rearm and reestablish itself. A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Israel Hayom on Saturday that the IDF will retain operational freedom to respond to any security threats from across the northern border, regardless of any diplomatic arrangements. However, a source close to Hezbollah told The Washington Post that the group’s “condition for progress remains clear: Israel must be prohibited from conducting operations within Lebanese territory.” Berri emphasized at the time that any ceasefire agreement must not include the ability for Israel to attack by land, sea or air, Channel 12 reported. “Otherwise, what’s the purpose of an agreement?” he remarked. Another sticking point is Lebanon’s objection to the United Kingdom and Germany monitoring the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701. Beirut reportedly favors the United States and France. If the ceasefire efforts fail, there are plans in the works to expand ground operations in Lebanon, an Israeli military official told the Post. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed the proposal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a visit to his Florida estate earlier this month, as well as with senior Biden administration officials in Washington. Dermer also traveled to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Tehran is telling its Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah that it supports ending the war against Israel, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Nov. 15 to discuss the matter. Two Iranians affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps told the Times that Larijani conveyed messages to Hezbollah from Khamenei that he supported the end of the war and that the regime would assist with rebuilding the terrorist group’s forces and recovering from the war.](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gideon-Saar-1320x880-2-218x150.jpg "Sa’ar: Israel must be free to act against Hezbollah truce violations")
Oct. 7, the day of Hamas’s barbaric, abhorrent terrorist attack on Israel, marked a watershed moment for the Middle East, with far-reaching consequences. In the short-term, Israel—which must be backed to the fullest extent—will rightly do everything it can to destroy Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
In the long-term, however, a permanent and peaceful solution to the question of Gaza is required. There is scarcely any discussion of this at this moment, so I wish to initiate one and issue a reminder of the overdue need for the German government to take part in a strategy of peace for the Middle East, including in the Gulf region.
The destruction of Hamas will be a significant step towards peace in the Middle East. If nothing else, because it would remove a considerable threat to the State of Israel. There can only be a lasting peace if all regional actors acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
On its own, however, the destruction of Hamas will not be enough. Only a sustainable plan for Gaza will forge lasting peaceful coexistence. Along with Israel, the Arab states have a crucial role to play in this. They also have an interest in regional stability and peace. Before Oct. 7, there had already been promising conversations and normalization of relations between Israel and large parts of the Arab world, most recently between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Both Israel and the Arab states are united in the concern that Iran could spark a conflagration in the Middle East through its support of various terrorist groups and its nuclear ambitions.
With the signing of the Abraham Accords, Arab states including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recognized the Jewish State of Israel and established diplomatic relations. As a result, Arab school textbooks are being updated to remove hatred of Jews and Israel, trade is booming and new waves of tourism in the region ensure exchanges take place on a wider societal level.
Part of Hamas’s insidious plan was to destroy this promising rapprochement. That cannot be allowed to happen. The Arab states must be part of the solution. They play a key role and should rise to the occasion. Statements from representatives of some Arab states have already underlined this point: There is scarcely a state in the region with an interest in supporting terrorism. Quite the opposite is true. We in Germany and the European Union in general should support them in their attempt to transcend the region’s history of violence.
Therefore, the Middle East requires an “Abraham Plan” for post-war Gaza. It should be developed and enacted by Israel and the Arab states working together. After World War II, we Europeans—and especially we Germans—experienced just how important moral and material support from benevolent international partners can be. We learned that it is essential to forging a path towards political stability and prosperity. In regard to the Middle East, this task should be taken up by the U.S., Europe and the international community.
One of the key questions that needs to be addressed by all parties to an “Abraham Plan” is the governance of Gaza. It is indisputable that a new approach is necessary. We must ask: How can recognition of Israel’s right to exist be secured? Who can act as the stabilizing power in Gaza? Is a joint administration possible, comprised of Israel and certain Arab states working together? How can essential supplies be secured for Palestinians? How can a dignified existence be made possible for civilians and refugees in Gaza? How can an educational system be established that does not spread hatred and incitement, but instead promotes peaceful coexistence? How can economically and socially sustainable structures be built? How can it be ensured that all parties involved are operating within the framework of international law? Last but not least, following the watershed of Oct. 7, what are the prospects for a two-state solution?
An “Abraham Plan” that answers these questions would not only be a blessing for the Middle East but also serve the interests of Germany and Europe. First, because the security of the State of Israel is part of modern Germany’s raison d’être. Second, because of the need for secure trade routes for the German and European economies, immigration matters and secure energy supplies.
We must formulate our policy goals in the Middle East in the areas of energy, economy, security, migration and development in clear terms. In regard to the Arab states, German foreign policy must change, because the current lack of a comprehensive strategic plan risks damage to Germany’s influence. Nobody benefits if the Arab states in the Gulf region turn away from us and towards China or Russia.
The fact that China recently undertook efforts to mediate a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran should be setting off alarm bells. If the West is not careful, China could establish a permanent influence in the region. An “Abraham Plan” for the Gaza Strip would give the West an opportunity to strengthen its foothold in the Middle East.
We should seize this opportunity and forge a coalition of the willing in which Germany and the E.U. will work together with Israel and the Arab states to forge a new reality in the region.