Hezbollah’s threats of bloodshed forced Beirut to soften its stance, says Israeli analyst.
The Lebanese government is backing away from its demand that Hezbollah disarm, fearing that forcing the issue could trigger a new civil war, according to an Israeli analyst.
In August, the Lebanese cabinet passed a resolution calling for Hezbollah to lay down its weapons and integrate into the Lebanese army, which would then hold exclusive control of arms in the country. Hezbollah, however, vehemently rejected the proposal.
Officials from the Iran-backed Shi’a terror group warned that any attempt to forcibly seize its weapons would result in violent bloodshed — a threat the Lebanese government appears to be taking seriously.
“The fate of Hezbollah’s weapons is sealed: Hezbollah will not disarm,” retired Col. Dr. Jacques Neriah, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told the Hebrew-language outlet Ma’ariv on Monday.
Neriah pointed to a recent speech by Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament and a veteran Shi’a politician from the Amal party, as evidence that the government was softening its stance.
Berri reportedly said that U.S. demands for Hezbollah to disarm — as part of a potential deal that would see Israeli forces withdraw from southern Lebanon — “should not be met.” Instead, he suggested, a “national dialogue” should be launched to develop a joint defense strategy between Hezbollah and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
According to Neriah, Berri’s remarks essentially echoed Hezbollah’s position: Israel must withdraw first, reconstruction of southern Lebanon must follow, and all Israeli military activity inside Lebanon must end before the group would even consider discussing disarmament.
“Hezbollah and Amal, the two major Shi’ite movements in the country, are telling the Lebanese president and prime minister: forget the government’s decision regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament. It won’t happen,” Neriah said.
He stressed Beirut understands that forcing the issue carries a “serious risk of renewed civil war” and is now seeking compromise to avoid a direct confrontation with Hezbollah.
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