Cabinet member and Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter said in an interview with Gideon Oko and Amichai Atali on 103FM that Israel’s freedom of action in Lebanon is limited by US considerations. “The American echelon has linked the Lebanese issue to the Iranian one,” he said, adding that those with “spare money” should consider investing in northern Israel.
Dichter, a member of the security cabinet, offered a rare glimpse on Wednesday into the decision-making constraints shaping Israel’s conduct on the northern front. Speaking to Oko and Atali, he openly acknowledged that, despite repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, Israel is not operating with the level of freedom it would prefer.
According to Dichter, Israeli policy in Lebanon does not stand on its own but is tied to relations with the White House and the broader struggle against Iran’s nuclear program. “We are constrained in Lebanon because of our American partner,” he said. “The American echelon has linked the Lebanese issue to the Iranian issue. We cannot be at odds with a country the size of the US and tell them: ‘In Iran, fine, but in Lebanon, we act independently.’ That’s not how it works.”
He added that while this limitation is “first and foremost difficult for those living in northern Israel,” it is a strategic necessity. “The number one interest is removing the Iranian nuclear threat, and the US is a partner we cannot go against.”
Dichter criticizes maritime border agreement reached by former Lapid-Bennett government
Dichter’s remarks stand in contrast to statements made earlier this week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel retains full freedom of action to counter any threat in Lebanon. Speaking at an IDF senior command conference, Netanyahu said Israel can operate even beyond the Litani River under understandings reached with the US and Lebanon. “We are striking as we are now, both in the security zone, north of it, and north of the Litani. Our freedom of action to thwart threats, immediate and emerging, is part of the agreement we reached with the US and the Lebanese government,” he said.
In response to criticism over the situation in northern Israel, Dichter also sharply attacked the previous government and its maritime border agreement. He argued that the deal set a dangerous precedent by conceding sovereign territory without peace. “The Lapid-Bennett government signed an agreement that cut away 10 kilometers of sovereign territory. Whether it’s trees, stones, or water, it’s sovereign territory in every sense,” he said.
He further claimed the move damaged Israel’s deterrence in the region. “You have no idea how much such a move weakened Israel’s image in the Middle East. In Arabic, they call it ‘you’re suckers.’ When a state gives territory to a terrorist organization, it’s outrageous conduct.”
Oko and Atali pushed back, noting that Hezbollah established positions on Israeli territory under Likud rule. “How can you preach about kilometers of water when Hezbollah set up a tent in our sovereign territory and you stayed silent?” Atali challenged.
Oko added, “You’ve been in power for 20 years, and the worst disaster that happened here happened on your watch.” Dichter responded: “October 7 is the most severe failure we’ve ever had, more than the Yom Kippur War. It was a massacre that fell upon us.”
Despite current tensions, Dichter struck an unexpectedly optimistic tone about the region’s future. He suggested that a resolution to the Hezbollah threat could come from within Lebanon itself. “My assessment is that a civil war will break out inside Lebanon. Then Lebanon will quiet down, and it may even reach a political agreement with Israel,” he said.
He concluded with a controversial recommendation given the current security reality: “I say with certainty, the North will be one of the safest places in Israel in the near future. If people have spare money, I recommend they invest it in northern Israel.”
Source:
www.jpost.com
