![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")
What does it mean for Israel that the free world has a new leader, U.S. President Joe Biden?
Will it be a “third Obama presidency,” based on coldness towards Israel, or will Biden choose to forge his own path?
It could very well be the latter, based on the following:
- Broad popular American support for, and Biden’s personal sympathy towards, Israel;
- The basic logic of strengthening America’s most trusted ally;
- The two countries’ mutual desire to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons;
- The positive international dynamic generated following the Trump administration’s Middle East initiatives.
There are certain issues that require particular reinforcement, however, such as the importance of having a united Jerusalem under Israeli control, which the new administration in Washington will be under tremendous pressure—from within and without—to take steps that are liable to compromise the future of united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty. To compromise.
On the other hand, they both have also expressed continued commitment to the “two-state solution,” albeit recognizing that the Palestinian Authority will not quickly return to the negotiating table. Blinken also has said that he wishes to ensure that neither party “takes steps that make the already difficult process even more challenging.”
To plan for the future and avoid a repetition of past mistakes in this realm, Israel must do the following:
- Refrain from freezing construction and building plans in Jewish neighborhoods in the eastern part of Jerusalem. This is especially important, as nearly half of the city’s 570,000 Jews reside there. Note that under former U.S. President Barack Obama, most building was frozen for over 6 years but it did not bring the parties closer to any peaceful resolution.
- Continue to enforce the law regarding including illegal Arab construction, income and municipal taxes and crime. This will strengthen Israeli sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem and the peaceful coexistence among all its citizens, whether Jews, Muslims or Christians.
- Prevent the P.A. from encouraging terrorism and civil unrest due to an anticipated “liberation” from the Jewish state.
Any peaceful resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will require the agreement of both parties, and a commitment on the part of the P.A. to stop incitement and dismantle all terror infrastructures and activities. There are multiple ideas addressing the eventuality of a resolution, which include the option of a two-state solution.
But even the latter should not include the disastrous division of Jerusalem into two capitals, for a host of historical, religious, social, security and practical reasons. Supporters of Israel and a united Jerusalem must adopt strategies to ensure that the rusty, failed and dangerous narratives regarding an Arab capital in Jerusalem are not reintroduced.
The following are some important points to improve, educate and advocate for keeping Jerusalem united and secure. The goal is to share the facts with the American public and legislators on both sides of the Congressional aisle.
- Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for more than 3,000 years—never that of Arab or other entities. The only period of time when Jews did not live in Jerusalem was the 19 years of Jordan’s illegal occupation of the city between 1948 and 1967. During that time, the Jewish Quarter was destroyed, including multiple historical synagogues, and Jews were not allowed to visit their holiest sites for even a short prayer.
Placing major parts of the holy city under Arab sovereignty is a high security risk to residents and visitors. Prior to 1967, Arab snipers targeted Jewish pedestrians and residences, and areas near the partition were danger zones. Today, Hamas and Fatah terrorists would have little trouble repeating this scenario, but much more intensely.
Social and security unrest would cause large numbers of residents to leave Jerusalem permanently, thus weakening the capital and the morale of the entire country. Tourism would drop drastically, and the city’s economy would cave.
Urban development and growth would be stifled. Almost all of the strategic high ground in the city and its surroundings would be left under Arab control, with severe security risks to all its residents.
- A united Jerusalem is a huge asset for all peace-loving citizens—whether Jews, Christians or Muslims—and for the United States.
U.S. support for Israel is motivated both by Judeo-Christian values and America’s own strategic interests:
A stable and strong Israel has successfully limited the success of radical nationalist movement victories in Lebanon, Jordan and PLO-controlled areas. In addition, Israel assists America in intelligence-gathering, covert operations and many other projects. A weakened Jerusalem significantly hinders Israel and its value to the U.S.
Unfettered unrest and radicalism in a divided Jerusalem would quickly embolden jihadists to export their ideology to the U.S. and its allies.
- A large portion of the Christian public in the U.S. feels strongly that Jerusalem must remain under Israeli control and sovereignty. The absolute majority of Christian tourists to Israel visit Jerusalem safely.
Pre-1967 Israeli history, and current events around the world, show that Christian holy sites in Muslim-controlled areas do not fare well, and are often destroyed. Only Israel can guarantee that Jerusalem remain an open city, embracing all religions with holy sites freely accessible to all.
- Most Arabs in Jerusalem do not want to live under Palestinian jurisdiction, which would rob them of freedom, financial stability and other Israeli benefits. Surveys of eastern Jerusalem Arabs by international groups continually reflect this fact.
Dividing Jerusalem would imperil the jobs of more than 40,000 eastern Jerusalem Arabs who work in western Jerusalem daily at salary scales often four times higher than those in P.A.-controlled territory.
Former P.A. Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Hatem Abdel Kader has said, “Jerusalem is at the bottom of the [P.A.’s] list of priorities. The Israelis have a plan and vision for Jerusalem, while the Palestinians have nothing to offer.”
It is crucial to make all of the above as widely known as possible, for the benefit of peace-loving citizens of all religious beliefs and backgrounds in the Middle East and beyond.
Dr. Shmuel Katz was born in Hungary, raised in Israel. served as an officer in the Six-Day War, gained extensive trauma experience during the Yom Kippur War, is double-boarded in surgery, a fellow of the Israeli Surgical Society and of the American College of Surgeons and other medical societies. He is on the board of many pro-Israel organizations.
Chaim Silberstein is president of Keep Jerusalem-Im Eshkachech and the Jerusalem Capital Development Fund. He was formerly a senior adviser to Israel’s minister of tourism.