On Sunday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the Israeli military to invade and take over southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not withdraw from the border.
Smotrich called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue an ultimatum to Hezbollah. “A public ultimatum must be issued to Hezbollah that they completely stop firing and withdraw all forces to beyond the Litani River,” he said at a faction meeting of his Religious Zionism party.
“If the ultimatum is not fully met, the IDF will launch an assault deep in Lebanese territory to defend the northern communities, including ground entry and Israeli military takeover of the southern Lebanese area,” Smotrich added.
He said the only way to return Israelis to northern areas that have been evacuated is “through a military decision with a devastating assault on Hezbollah, its infrastructure, and the destruction of its power.”
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes across the border since October 7. Over 300 people have been killed on the Lebanon side of the border, and dozens have been killed in southern Israel. Tensions show no sign of easing, and Israeli officials have frequently threatened a full-scale invasion, although such an operation would stretch Israel’s military thin amid its onslaught in Gaza.
Concerning Gaza, Smotrich said permanent Israeli military control was needed and that military outposts should be built “in the north, center and south of the Gaza Strip, to prevent a situation in which Hamas rebuilds its military infrastructure and [reasserts] civilian control.” He has repeatedly called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the re-establishment of Jewish settlements.
Smotrich is a settler himself and holds a minister position in the Defense Ministry that gives him the power to expand settlements in the West Bank. He has also signaled support for Israeli expansion beyond the occupied Palestinian territories.
Last year, Smotrich spoke at a conference that displayed a map of “Greater Israel,” which showed Jordan as part of Israeli territory. In the speech, Smotrich said the Palestinian people were “an invention.”
First they take Manhattan then they take the whole country,
I know you are not being serious but I hear what you say.
Put Smotrich in a tank on the Lebanese border and see how he likes it.
Does Israel have something up their sleeve, such as tactical nukes, or are their leaders completely delusional? Hezbollah did fight the IDF to a stand still in 2004 and has gotten much stronger since then. This bravado confuses me.
They have $17 billion reasons to feel that bravado and two presidential candidates who are fighting to see whose nose gets to be planted up their collective ass come November.
Israel would destroy itself if it uses nukes…!
If you go by the Samson Option, they don’t care. They are that crazy. Taking malignant narcissism to its logical conclusion.
Acting crazy, with nukes in the arsenal, would make other countries bend to their will. I would say a wake up call for the Zionists if other countries, who have nukes, call their bluff and go full nuclear alert. Russia knows full well that Israel and the U.S. of Atrocities are joined at the hip. Russia has already begun nuclear drills due to the sabre rattling by certain countries in NATO. The Uniparty of the U.S. of Atrocities better grow a brain and think beyond a stupid election that benefits only the donor class. Or, they can have their last drink as the Titanic (world) sinks, just like the wealthy man on that ship did. Instead of “glub” it will be hotter than the sun or slow, excruciating death by poisoning.
If it uses nukes, the fallout will spread to other areas, perhaps to areas in which there are similarly nuclear armed countries. What if one is used on Iran? What reaction would there be from Russia? An ally of Iran.
Typical among the ZioNazis: too stupid to back off.
In Israel every minister is a war minister…! Too many war ministers speed up the Israeli collapse…!
Hezbollah would then fire a volley of rockets that would hit certain manufacturing plants in and around Tel Aviv, like chlorine production factories. Then every jihad in the region will join forces, American soldiers in the ME will be under siege, with many killed. I believe the Northern area of Israel could be invaded, creating chaos. Who will it bring into the fray? Well, us of course. The Uniparty of the United States of Atrocities has really, really put us in a nice fix. Russia beginning nuclear drills. Israel expanding the “war” (which is actually a planned event to evict or kill all Palestinians, because the Zionists knew of the plans for the breakout a year in advance. Rather than seal everything off on 8Oct, the plan to evict and kill all Palestinians was executed. Along with the Hannibal Directive, during which nearly 400 Israelis were killed by intentional friendly fire (witnessed by a survivor, Porat). Israel has also killed many hostages through the bombing, including shooting to death escaped hostages waving white flags. Bibi, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir do not give a sh*t about the hostages. That is a fact.
Why is it taking Zionist so long? Abraham’s biblical promise to the Hebrews that their land, Eretz Israel, stretch from the Nile to the Euphrates.
A f*cking book that no one knows who wrote, that gives the messianic nut cases in Israel the right to drive and kill people on the land the book supposedly gave to them. That is a fact. The Zionists of the type in Israel (some world wide) that believe in it are really, really out of touch with reality.
If there is any better opportunity to strike and occupy Lebanon, now is the time, while Iran is in disarray.
I really want to see this guy try. That will be the end of Israel and the US presence in the Middle East – which is a necessary outcome.
One thing about Israel: it doesn’t matter whether you are in charge of the IDF or you coordinate activities of the Girl Scouts… you have the moral and legal authority to shoot your mouth off and puff out your chest for Yahweh.
What a clown.