Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who oversaw the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, dismissed claims that his decision contributed to the current threat posed by Hezbollah. Barak argued that the roots of the challenges Israel faces today lie in more recent developments, not decisions made decades ago.
Speaking to Reshet Bet radio, Barak stated, “This entire tendency to rely on events from 25 years ago and explain the failures and things that were not done in the last 15 years is a weakness of this government, which in my opinion few accept. What determines what happens today is what happened in the last 10 or 15 years, not what happened 25 years ago.”
Barak defended his decision to withdraw the IDF, emphasizing the cost of staying in Lebanon for nearly two decades. “I am proud that I withdrew the IDF from Lebanon after 18 years of tragedy that cost a great many victims. I will tell you and anyone who doesn’t remember – Hezbollah grew stronger, learned, and improved as a result of the conflict with us, not from the lack of conflict. Anyone who thinks that constant friction with them over 25 years would have resulted in a weaker Hezbollah doesn’t understand what he is talking about,” he said.
Barak also addressed the difficulty of completely eradicating Hezbollah, given its entrenched presence across Lebanon. He explained Israel’s current approach to handling the organization under the terms of the existing agreements. “You can’t completely eliminate Hezbollah, since it is spread throughout Lebanon, and even now after this agreement, the trend will be to ensure that the agreement is maintained, and that we don’t have to act as much as possible. And of course, when there is something that requires action, Israel is sovereign, it can and must act,” he concluded.
{Matzav.com}