Israel does not represent an imminent threat to Lebanon, never had any intention of occupying or annexing Lebanese land and only invaded the country because of the Palestinians, according to former Lebanese minister Sejaan Azzi.
In an interview with Lebanon’s NBN TV on Sept. 3, Azzi said that if the Lebanese military had taken control of Lebanon’s southern border and the Palestinian refugee camps, and prevented PLO leader Yasser Arafat from creating a state within a state in Lebanon, Israel would never have invaded Lebanon and reached Beirut.
That Israel seeks peace with the United Arab Emirates indicates that it must also want peace with Lebanon and Syria, he said.
Regardless of whether Hezbollah and other militant groups agree to disarm or not, said Azzi, Lebanon could not continue to live in a state of constant war.
The rest of this article is available at the MEMRI website.
